By the Side of the Road
by NikkiB1973
Summary: On a visit to her dad, Charlie Swan, Bella and her mom, Renee encounter a boy comatose on the road to Forks. Who is he and why is he there? Set pre Twilight AU...
1. Chapter 1

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-I should be finishing my revising, but once an idea gets in my head I have to write it down or it is lost forever. Nikki **_

**Part One-Found**

Renee leaned forward in her seat as she drove toward Forks. The fog was so thick that she could hardly see through the windscreen of her rented Toyota corolla. She had slowed down to a crawl as she peered out. Beside her in the passenger seat her young daughter Bella fidgeted nervously. She was twelve years old, but the dark night still made her fearful. She glanced at her mother, panic showing in her eyes.

"Mom, how much longer until we get to dad's?"

Renee turned her head quickly and threw Bella a reassuring smile. "Not long, darling. Don't worry so much, your dad is so looking forward to this visit."

Bella nodded and sat back in her seat, facing the road ahead. Renee patted her hand quickly and then turned to peer out of the windscreen again. The fog lights on the car were not really helping as she drove along slowly, straining her eyes to see through the dense fog. She had grown up near Forks and never recalled a fog as bad as this one. But then again maybe she had just got used to the dry dessert of Phoenix. Her ex-husband and Bella's father had lived and worked in Forks all his life and loved the place. Renee had not been able to handle the sedate and isolated pace of life in the small town. Even though she and Charlie had been divorced for a long time, they had kept a cordial relationship for the sake of their daughter. Twice a year Charlie would fly to Phoenix to stay with them for two weeks and then Renee would bring Bella back to Forks to stay at her old marital home.

They inched closer to their destination, the encroaching forest adding an eerie ambience to the whole scene. Bella felt her heart beating faster as she clutched the side of the passenger seat, until pins and needles made her release her hold. "Mom, I'm scared..." she whispered.

Renee gave her another quick glance. "I told you Bella, it will be fine..."

"MOM, LOOK OUT..." Bella shrieked, pointing to the road ahead.

Renee slammed on the brakes, alarmed at her daughter's sudden warning. The car pivoted to one side until it came to a screeching halt. Renee gripped the wheel her hands shaking while Bella trembled beside her. They both looked out and saw the dark shape lying in the middle of the road. If Bella had not yelled out, Renee would have driven straight over it. The combination of the dark night and heavy fog had shrouded her view. They both studied the shape carefully.

"Oh my god, I think it is a young boy..." Renee suddenly said as she fumbled with her seat belt and exited the car. Bella huddled in her seat as she watched her mom hurry over to the dark shape and bend down next to it. After a few seconds Renee called out to Bella. "Darling, please bring the car blanket out with you, the boy has no clothes on but he still feels warm."

Bella was reluctant to get out of the car but she plucked up her courage and did as her mom requested. She unsnapped her seat belt and slipped her hand through the seats to pull the car blanket through. She was soon by her mother's side passing her the blanket.

"Bella avert your eyes while I cover him up," Renee told her gently. Bella nodded and turned her eyes away briefly until the boy was covered.

"Is he okay, mom? What do you think he is doing out here?" She asked.

"I don't know, darling. Maybe he was in an accident, although he does not have a scratch on him. I have no idea why he is not wearing any clothes either. He is breathing, I just think he may be concussed or something. I am going to carry him to the car; I can't leave him in the middle of the road to call for help. We will take him with us; your dad can notify the relevant authorities."

Bella watched as her mom lifted the boy carefully, his long black hair bouncing about as she carried him to the car. She opened the back passenger door for her mother so that she could slide the comatose boy along the back seats. Renee rolled her shoulders, trying to get some feeling back into her body. It was very cold; she was surprised that the boy's body was still warm, hot even. He was lucky not to be suffering from hypothermia.

"Bella do you mind riding in the back with the boy to keep an eye on him while I drive. If you are worried about him just tell me and I will stop the car, okay." Renee cupped her daughter's cold cheek in her hand and looked at her hopefully.

"Yeah, I don't mind." She replied. She was intensely curious about the boy and was already making up stories in her head about why he was abandoned in the middle of the road on a dark, foggy night.

Renee helped Bella climb in the back and made sure she put on her seat belt and then returned to the driver's seat. She was itching to get to Charlies and get the boy some help. Bella stared at the boy on the journey toward her father's. She was fascinated by his long, shiny black hair and tan skin. He had the longest eyelashes she had ever seen on a boy and he looked so peaceful just lying there. She wondered how old he was, he couldn't be more than ten or eleven. Well no older than she was anyway.

"Why were you there?" She murmured to the boy. She observed him for a bit longer, hoping that he would open his eyes; she wanted to see what color they were. Hers were a boring brown, she had wished for blue eyes like her mom, but had inherited her father's brown ones. "Maybe you are a lost prince, like in the old fairy tales. Wouldn't that be amazing?"

There was no response from the boy. She could just see the rise and fall of his chest under the car blanket as he breathed. She saw his hand twitch slightly and some instinct made her reach out and clasp his hand in her own. As soon as she touched him his eyes flew open and she gasped, they were a deep, dark brown and they had her mesmerized. It was at this point her mom finally pulled into the driveway of their old home and turned off the engine.

XXXXXX

As soon as Charlie Swan laid eyes on the boy he recognized him. He carried him quickly into the house, Renee and Bella following swiftly behind. They watched as he deposited the boy gently on the couch, tucking the thick blanket around him. The boy smiled at Charlie and mumbled his thanks.

"You know him?" Renee asked in confusion.

Charlie nodded and motioned for Renee to follow him into the small kitchen. "Bells, would you mind keeping young Jake company? I am going to have a quick word with your mom."

So that was his name. She liked the sound of it, Prince Jacob. Her imagination took flight again as she began to weave a story in her head. She didn't even realize her parents had left the room until the young boy spoke. "I am in so much trouble..." he confessed softly.

Bella stared at him, her daydreams broken by the reality of his voice. "Why?" was all she could think of to say.

"I didn't mean to, but I can't help it." He replied cryptically.

"Huh," Bella's brow furrowed in confusion. "Can't help what?"

"The wolf takes over and I get lost..." he babbled.

"You have a pet wolf?" Bella's eyes widened in wonder, the story in her head was taking on another direction.

The boy regarded her carefully. "KInda, "he said eventually.

"Can I meet him?" She begged the boy called Jake. This was all so exciting.

The boy sat up and pulled the blanket around him. He studied her keenly with his dark eyes, Bella felt like she was drowning in the dark pools. "I think he would like that..."

Bella's whole face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah...but you have to keep him a secret, promise me?" He pleaded with her. "The wolf could be in danger if you tell anyone."

Bella nodded eagerly. "I promise. When will you bring him to see me?"

"I won't be able to come...the wolf gets nervous if there are too many people around. Look, I will let you know, alright." he assured her.

"Okay, "Bella bit her lip as she pictured a little fluffy wolf cub in her head. She had a feeling this visit to her dad's was going to be special. "Oh, I am Bella by the way." She finally remembered her manners.

"Jacob Black..." he responded warmly, holding out his hand for her to shake. Bella took it and gasped as she felt warmth spread up her arm and finally through her entire body. She stared at Jacob and he seemed equally as stunned as he gazed back at her.

Renee and Charlie came back into the room and broke the spell they were both under. Renee looked at her daughter curiously. "Are you alright, darling?"

Bella nodded dumbly, her whole body was still tingling and she found it hard to tear her eyes away from Jacob. She watched her dad bend down by Jacob's side and ask him what had happened. She heard the young boy lie easily, saying he did not remember. Charlie exchanged a doubtful look with his ex wife before informing Jacob that he had called his dad and that Billy was coming to pick him up.

"Thank you Chief Swan," Jacob replied politely before his eyes wandered back to Bella, he gave her a conspiratorial grin. She found herself returning it.

XXXXXX

When Billy arrived to pick up his son, he found him sitting on the Swan's sofa sipping at some warm soup. A young girl was beside him whispering into his ear. Jacob was wrapped in a car blanket. Billy sighed as he gazed over at his young son.

"Hey, Jake I brought you some clothes. Why don't you go and get changed in the bathroom?" he suggested quickly.

Jacob bowed his head, his long shiny hair hiding his contrite expression. "Yeah, dad..." he mumbled. He put the soup down and wrapped the blanket tightly around himself before going over and collecting his spare clothes. He gave one last lingering glance behind him at Bella before he left the room.

Charlie gestured for his old friend to sit down. Billy sighed and perched on the edge of an armchair.

"Why was Jake out there, Billy? I asked him and he can't remember." Charlie questioned him.

Billy shrugged his shoulders. "I can't answer that Charlie. I thought he was in his room; I was helping the twins with their homework and then I got your call. I can only assume it has something to do with Sarah's passing, he was close to his mom and has been having trouble coping." Internally he hoped this would stop Charlie asking anymore searching questions. Much to his relief Charlie nodded his head in agreement.

"Sorry Billy...I can't imagine how hard it must still be..." Charlie said awkwardly.

Renee was not convinced at all by Billy's cagey answer but with her daughter listening eagerly to the conversation she did not press the matter. Jacob returned and he shuffled over to his dad's side now fully clothed. Billy got up from the chair and thanked Renee and Charlie.

"I owe you one..." he said gratefully.

"No problem. " Charlie responded as he followed Billy and Jacob to the door. "Hey why not come over tomorrow and we can have a chat. It would be good for the kids to meet each other properly. You'd like that Bells wouldn't you?"

Bella and Jacob were staring at each other and both nodded at the same time. Billy saw the look his son gave Bella as they turned to leave and he glanced back at her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

_**A/N-What do you think? Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Two-Meeting the Wolf**

Billy made sure that Jacob was strapped in properly and then he pulled away, staring directly ahead. The fog had lessened and he had a better view of the road then when he had driven down to pick his son up. He mulled over what he should say to Jacob, the boy had his head down and looked so unhappy. Everything had been turned upside down in Jacob's life since his mom's death; he had been so distraught that it had triggered the wolf gene and he had phased within twenty four hours of hearing the news. His transformation had been a shock to Billy, already numb with the grief of losing his wife and having to plan her funeral. Finding out what had happened to his son had nearly destroyed him. It was only the quick intervention of Harry and Old Qul that had saved them. They took charge of Jacob and steered him through the early days of learning to cope with his new wolf body.

"Hey Jake, its okay you know I am not mad..." Billy said eventually, breaking the tense silence.

Jacob raised his head, his long black hair spilling around his face. "You're not?" he questioned.

"No," Billy turned his head and gave his son a tired smile. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Jacob picked at the leather seat of the truck distractedly. "I just felt so... frightened today. I was looking at photos of mom and...and I couldn't control it. I had to escape the house it felt like it was closing in on me. The wolf took over and I lost myself again. I tried to do what Old Quil said but I can't seem to control what he does or where he goes..."

Billy sighed. "You're still so young Jake, no one in the tribe has ever phased at your age before so maybe being able to take control over the wolf spirit just takes time and a lot of practice. You will get through this."

Jacob smiled weakly. He fidgeted around and pushed his hair out of his face. "I like the girl, she seems nice..." he mumbled as a hint of red tinged his cheeks.

A real smile crossed Billy's face as he regarded his son. "I could tell...when you were both very young you used to be attached at the hip before Renee and Charlie split, then Bella moved to Phoenix with her mom. You were both very upset at the time..." He recalled.

"That was her?" Jacob's eyes widened as he became lost in old memories.

"Yeah, she has certainly grown."

"Is she ten too?" Jacob asked eagerly.

"No, twelve..."

"She's very small for a twelve year old, I am way taller..." Jacob mused. "You will go around there tomorrow like you said, won't you dad?"

Billy nodded. "Don't worry son you will get to see your girl again..." He said in amusement.

Jacob gave his dad a grin as the atmosphere lightened and they continued on the journey home.

XXXXXX

Bella hardly slept that night; her dreams were filled with a russet red wolf which was standing guard over her as a pale faced boy with intense eyes and thick, bronze coloured hair stalked her. She had woken abruptly, her chest heaving as she took in deep breaths to calm herself. The room felt cold and she shivered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the curtain fluttering as if in a light breeze. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to the window; she parted the curtains and frowned. Hadn't the window been shut when she went to sleep? Bella trembled as she swiftly shut the window and ran back to her bed. She pulled the covers over her head and tried to picture the wolf again, she squeezed her eyes tight shut and eventually the image of her dream protector reappeared in her mind. Her small body began to relax as she finally succumbed to sleep.

XXXXXX

Renee poured the cereal into a bowl and slopped some cold milk on it. "Is that enough, sweetie? Or do you want some more?"

"Mom, it's already drowning in milk." Bella mumbled as she began spooning the soggy breakfast into her mouth.

Charlie smiled as he folded his newspaper in half and chucked it onto the table. "I did say we could all go to the diner for breakfast. They do a mean fry up..."

Renee threw a tea towel at him. "You haven't changed one bit Charlie Swan. While we are staying here you will be eating healthily." She said in amusement.

"On one of your health kicks I see, Ren, and you tell me I haven't changed..." He gave her a wink.

Bella rolled her eyes; her parents could be so embarrassing. Not for the first time she wondered why they had split, at times like these they seemed so at ease in each other's company. She tried to distract them. "Hey, what time are Jake and his dad coming?"

"They'll be here soon, that is the fifth time you've asked. Young Jake made quite an impression then did he kiddo?" Charlie teased.

Bella turned red with embarrassment. "Dad..." she grumbled.

Renee shook her head at Charlie, she knew how easily embarrassed Bella could get. "Enough of that now, Charlie I have made you up some muesli, aren't you going to eat it?"

Charlie glanced down at the bowl of rabbit food and grimaced. "You really want me to eat seeds?"

Renee began to laugh at the disgusted look on his face, Bella joined in as they watched Charlie gingerly spoon in the healthy breakfast.

XXXXXX

Billy and Jacob arrived at the Swan house by ten o'clock. Bella was sitting outside on the front steps waiting. She jumped up and waved wildly when Billy parked up the truck. A huge grin crossed Jacob's face and he heard his dad laughing as he launched himself out of his seat and ran over to Bella.

"Hey," he greeted her cheerfully.

"Hi," Bella replied, suddenly feeling shy, she fidgeted around nervously trying to pluck up the courage to ask him about the wolf.

Billy said hello to Bella and then disappeared into the house to hunt down Charlie and Renee, leaving the two youngsters alone. Jacob gave her a friendly grin and instinctively reached out and took Bella's hand. She glanced up at him from under her eyelashes and gave him a tentative smile.

"You want to see the wolf right now, don't you?" He said suddenly.

Bella's brown eyes widened in surprise, "How do you know what I wanted?"

Jacob just shrugged. "I just do."

"Is he nearby?" Bella whispered glancing back over her shoulder at the house.

"Yeah but you remember what I said, right? He gets nervous with too many people so it's best if it's just you. I will guide you to him and then you wait until he appears. Then when he leaves wait for me to come back and get you, okay." Jacob kept his voice as low as possible; he didn't want his dad to find out what he was going to do. No one besides his dad, Harry and Old Quil had seen his spirit wolf but for some reason he was eager for this girl to meet his other side. He already trusted her implicitly.

Bella nodded her head already keen to get going. She let Jacob take the lead as he took her toward the nearby forest that surrounded the back of the Swan house. He carefully guided her through the dense trees for a good five minutes before he stopped and turned back to her. "Right, stay here while I call for him. Don't be nervous when you see him he won't hurt you."

"I won't be...wolf cubs are so cute." She replied picturing in her head a small fluffy cub.

"Bells, he isn't some small wolf, he is massive. I mean huge...I thought you guessed that. Are you sure you still want to see him. I couldn't bear it if you were scared of me..." He said unthinkingly.

Bella frowned. "Scared of you? What do you mean by that? And why did you call me Bells?" she questioned him.

Jacob tensed up now realizing his slip of the tongue. "I meant I don't want you to be scared of him and I like calling you Bells because I think it suits you."

Bella took hold of his hand this time. "Sorry Jake, I like you calling me Bells, it's kinda cute and don't worry, I still want to meet the wolf." She assured him.

Jacob smiled at her in relief. "Just wait here then, he will be along very soon."

Bella nodded and watched Jacob slip away into the tree cover. Once she was alone she became acutely aware of the sounds of the local wildlife. She heard birds singing and rustling as the tree branches swayed in the wind. She gazed around her immediate surroundings, trying to get a first glimpse of any movement that might indicate that the wolf was approaching. The minutes ticked by slowly and Bella was becoming increasingly impatient.

"Where are you wolf?" She muttered to herself. Something nudged her in the back lightly and she spun around to be confronted by the russet red wolf from her dreams. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she gazed upon the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, he was magnificent. Jacob had been right this wolf was huge, he stood almost as tall as a horse and his dark eyes had her mesmerized.

Bella did not question why she felt no fear as she was confronted by this huge animal. Some inner instinct told her that the wolf would never harm her and that they were connected in some way. "I dreamed about you last night. I never imagined that you were really real. Can you understand me?" She asked softly.

The wolf's ears twitched as it nodded its great head slowly. Bella let out a giggle. She was wonderstruck. She reached out a tentative hand. "Can I stroke your fur?" She enquired. She was not fazed at all by the fact that the wolf could understand every word she was saying. She felt like she was in a fairytale and all thoughts about how such a creature could exist flew out of her head.

The wolf's tongue lolled out of its mouth and Bella was sure it was laughing at her in its own way. She smiled up at him and sank her hand into the fur along its shoulder. It felt smooth and wiry as she ran her fingers through the long strands. "You're amazing, are you really real?" she said to herself as she continued to stroke the fur tenderly.

A humming noise reverberated from the wolf's chest and Bella giggled again. "I take it that you like me doing this."

The wolf wagged its tail from side to side and Bella boldly reached up and slipped her arms around its neck, hugging it tightly. "You're awesome." She murmured as the wolf lowered its head allowing her to scratch behind its ears.

"BELLA, JAKE WHERE ARE YOU?" the frantic voices of her dad and Billy could be heard clearly through the trees. She had lost all track of time. The wolf was spooked as it shrugged off her hold and immediately disappeared.

"No, come back wolf. Don't go..." Bella called after it frantically. She forgot Jacob's warning about waiting for him to come back to her and began to follow in the direction that the wolf had taken before it vanished...

_**A/N-Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-well finally took my exam, LOL. Thanks for the lovely reviews on the last chapter. We are about to see who was in Bella's room last night...**_

**Part Three-Shock**

Bella pushed her way blindly through the dense undergrowth; she could hear the voices of her dad and Billy still calling out for her and Jacob. She was so intent on her mission to find the wolf that she ignored them and continued on in the direction she thought the wolf had taken. As she carried on with her journey the voices of her dad and Billy became fainter. It was getting more difficult to push through the trees and thickets and she kept jumping when a twig would snap underfoot. Bella began to regret her hasty decision to follow the wolf, Jacob's warning to wait for him to come back and get her began swimming around in her head, and she wondered where he was.

Something was making Bella feel panicky, her sixth sense kicked in and she paused to listen carefully all around her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, she was sure she was being watched and it didn't feel like a friendly presence. A whimper escaped her mouth and she circled around slowly, her eyes wide and fearful. "Mommy, Jacob..." she mumbled, wishing that she was no longer alone. The whole fairytale she had written in her head about the wolf protector was turning sour. She was lost, all alone and very scared.

A snapping twig made Bella scream, she whipped around, her long hair blocking her vision momentarily. She managed to pull the hair away from her face in order to see again and let out another scream as she saw what was standing right in front of her. A tall male, with skin as pale as the boy's was in her dream the previous night, stood before her. He was dressed in a torn pair of jeans and a leather jacket. His feet were bare and dirty as was his long greasy hair which was tied back in a low ponytail. It was his eyes that made her heart beat faster with dread, they were like nothing she had ever seen before, a vivid dark red and they were focused intently on her.

"You smell delicious little girl, I am so thirsty. I came for you last night after spying you on the road with your mother and that boy. Your scent drew me in and the call of your blood; I have never felt anything like it. "The man licked his lips and laughed as he watched Bella cower away from him. "You must think me very rude, my name is James and you are about to become my most tasty meal yet. I wanted to feed last night but your parents were too close. I can't have my identity discovered now can I?"

Bella felt frozen with fear, her voice had deserted her and she could think of nothing to say to the strange man's confusing words. Tears began to leak out of her eyes, she was doomed and there was nothing she could do to prevent the inevitable. The man circled her slowly as if he was trying to work out the best way to attack. He sniffed the air and kept whispering how intoxicating the smell of her blood was. He seemed drunk on it. Finally he appeared to have savoured enough of her scent as his whole posture changed and he crouched low as if ready to attack. Bella closed her eyes; she did not want his face to be the last thing that she saw. She pictured Jake in her mind and felt a little comforted.

A low growl made her eyes snap open again as out of the shadows strode her wolf. He too was crouched low as if ready to spring. The pale man turned around inhumanly fast and his lips drew back over his perfect white teeth. The hackles on the wolf's back rose up as without warning he leapt high into the air and landed on the man's back, teeth clamping onto his shoulder. Bella screamed as the man began to pound on the wolf's exposed stomach, causing it to whine in pain. After that it was all a blur, both the wolf and the man moved impossibly fast as they whirled over and over, each trying to gain the upper hand.

Bella felt faint, she did not know what to do. Her thoughts were all on the wolf who was so valiantly trying to protect her from the bad man. She couldn't bear it if something happened to him. How could she help him? The only thing that crossed her mind was to try and provide a distraction. The bad man was after her anyway. She remembered him talking about the lure of her blood and her intoxicating scent. Bella hated blood, even a small cut could make her feel faint, but she needed to help the wolf. She knelt down on the ground and hunted around for something sharp, her hand eventually closed around a broken twig. Gathering all her courage together she scraped the twig along the palm of her hand, drawing a line of blood. Nausea took her over immediately and she knew that she only had a moment before she fainted.

Staggering to her feet and shaking with fear, Bella held out her hand and called out to the man. "Hey, you wanted this, see the blood. Isn't this was you were after?"

The man's head turned in her direction and she could see his intense red eyes burning, he gave the wolf a particularly vicious punch in the side, rendering it breathless. Almost at once he was standing before her, his hand clamped around her wrist.

"You know you would have made a good vampire...it's a pity that the call of your blood means I have to kill you..." His voice was silky as he spoke, his head inclining down toward her hand, red eyes focused on the glistening blood on her palm.

The wolf managed to regain its footing, its flanks heaving with each painful breath as it stumbled toward the pale man and Bella. It gave out a low whine as it saw the man about to feed. This spurred it on as it gave one last leap and clamped its tired jaws around the bad mans neck. Bella fell backwards into a dead faint and did not witness the wolf tearing the pale man's head from his shoulders.

XXXXXX

Jacob phased back immediately; he needed to burn the remains before the vampire managed to regenerate, it was the only way to make sure that he was gone forever. He ran back and recovered the clothes he had abandoned earlier and fumbled around in his pocket for the lighter that his dad and Old Quil insisted he always carry with him for just this purpose. He quickly gathered all the body parts together into a small pile and lit it. The flames roared as soon as the limbs were ignited and a sickly sweet stench permeated the air. Jacob began to gag as all the adrenaline of the fight deserted him and he was left with the horrifying memories of what he had just done. He vomited into some nearby bushes until his stomach was empty.

The fire went out after a few minutes; all that remained was a few ashes and a sickly sweet smell. Jacob finally pulled himself together and dressed swiftly, he needed to check on his Bella. He knelt next to her and watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed; he closed his eyes in relief. He had nearly been too late. Jacob reached out and smoothed the hair away from her pale face; silent tears ran down his face as it sank in just how close he had come to losing her when he had only just found her.

"I'm sorry Bells. I won't fail you again, I promise..." Jacob sobbed. Everything that had happened overwhelmed him and he leaned down and rested his head over her heart so that he could hear it beating. His tears soaked Bella's shirt as he let out his grief.

That is how Billy found them...

XXXXXX

Renee sat by her daughter's side and held the glass of water as Bella took a tentative sip. "Hey, are you alright sweetie?" she asked with concern.

Bella sat back and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine..." she whispered hoarsely.

"Bella, what made you go out into the forest alone with Jake like that? Do you know how reckless that was?" Renee questioned her.

Bella hung her head and hid behind her hair, her inner instinct told her that she needed to keep what had happened quiet, she was worried for the wolf's safety. He had saved her life and she remembered Jacob's warnings about keeping the secret. She looked up at her mom and smiled weakly. "I'm sorry mom; it was a silly thing to do. Jacob and I didn't think..."

Renee regarded her carefully, "Bella, are you telling me the truth, I mean you can talk to me you know, about anything, no matter how bizarre."

Bella couldn't look her mom in the eye; she had always been able to sense when she was lying. "Yeah I am, me and Jake just got lost, luckily his dad found us..."

Renee sighed, she could tell that Bella was hiding something but hoped that she would reveal whatever it was in her own time. She backed off for now. "Okay sweetie, drink a bit more for me." she gave her an encouraging smile.

Bella returned it as she finished the rest of her drink.

XXXXXX

Jacob was in the back garden of the Swan house sitting on the back steps with his dad. Charlie had just left them to go and check on his daughter. Billy looked at his son and felt an unbearable sadness run through him. His son appeared defeated and broken. His shoulders were slumped and the tears kept running down his cheeks.

"Jake, I know this is hard but you have to know that you did the right thing, you saved young Bella's life." Billy said softly.

"She was in danger because I led her there so she could see my wolf." he admitted.

Billy put his arm around Jacob and hugged him briefly. "Jacob you did nothing wrong. You were tested today in the worst way imaginable. Someone you cared about was in mortal danger from a cold one and you acted impeccably. Bella was just in the wrong place son, you saved her and you should be proud of that fact. Do not blame yourself for anything..."

"But she was there because of me..." Jacob said again.

"No, banish that thought from your mind. Do not feel any guilt for what happened today. It was your first encounter with a vampire and as bad as that was you have to hold on to the fact that the girl you im...care about has been saved." Billy stumbled over the last words but Jacob failed to notice as he was still too upset. "What I am trying to say, very badly, is that I am proud of you son and your mom would be too."

Jacob raised his head and finally looked at his dad. "She would?"

Billy smiled and patted his son on the back. "Yes, without a doubt."

"Thanks dad...can I go and see Bells now?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah, she has been waiting for you."

Jacob stood up and followed his dad back into the house, eager to see how Bella was faring.

_**A/N-Thanks for reading! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Four-Friends**

Bella and Jacob sat on the living room floor, playing cards. After the terrifying incident with the cold one they had not ventured outside of the Swan house again. Renee had left to pay a visit to one of her old school friends who now lived in Port Angeles, she would be staying overnight with her. Billy and Charlie were settled in front of the flat screen, fixated by the latest Mariner's game.

"Snap..." Jacob crowed as he slammed the card down before Bella had a chance to open her mouth.

"How do you always manage to say it first..." she said disgruntled by the fact she was losing. "I am sick of this game." Bella threw the cards down and stood up.

"What did I do?" Jacob asked her worriedly.

Bella gave him an annoyed glance. "Where were you, Jake? That man attacked me and if it wasn't for the wolf I would have been...I would have..." She began to hyperventilate as the memories of the sudden unprovoked attack by the pale man washed over her.

Jacob flinched at her accusatory tone. "I came as soon as I could..." he whispered, looking at her pleadingly.

Bella sighed, she knew deep down that there was nothing he could have done; he was a ten year old boy. Luckily for her the wolf had defended her. She yearned to be able to see the wolf again so she could wrap her arms around its neck and whisper her thanks. Bella sat back down opposite Jacob and reached out for his hand. "I'm sorry...it was not your fault. I just wish I could see the wolf again to thank him. I expect he won't let me see him now." she said regretfully.

Jacob looked puzzled. "Why would you think that?"

Bella hung her head. "I put him in danger..." she mumbled.

Jacob let go of her hand and leaned forward so he could slip his fingers under her chin. He raised her head gently so she had to look at him. "I know that the wolf doesn't think that, he liked you Bells. If you can wait until tomorrow I can get him to see you again." he promised.

"Really?" Bella said delightedly.

"Yes, really..." Jacob gave her an encouraging smile.

"You are awesome, Jake..." she declared before flinging her arms around him. He returned the hug and when they parted they couldn't stop smiling at each other.

XXXXXX

Billy put the phone down. "Rachel and Rebecca are going to spend the night at the Clearwater's. It's Leah's birthday and Harry said they would take them all out for the evening." He informed Charlie.

"You and Jake might as well stay here. Renee is out with her old schoolmate for the night, saves you driving back home. I might even shout you a beer." Charlie gave him a big grin.

"Well as it is such a rare event for you to actually supply the beer, I might just do that," he chuckled.

Charlie mock punched him in the shoulder. "Comments like that can make a man change his mind, Billy Black."

Billy grinned at him. "Come on Chief, let's tell the kids. I know that Jake will be thrilled."

Charlie raised an eyebrow at Billy. "Mmm...Those two have really become close already. Maybe you should open a savings account for the wedding now." He teased him.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Chief? Isn't it the bride's father who pays?" Billy countered.

Charlie huffed irritably. "Typical...mind you what about Rach and Beck? I tell ya Billy, better start saving now."

Bella with Jacob trailing behind her entered the hallway; they stared at their father's curiously as they caught the tail end of the conversation. "Save for what?" Bella enquired.

Charlie patted her on the head as though she was five. "Nothing kiddo, Billy is just jotting up how much he needs to save for the twin's weddings."

Bella's eyes became huge. "Weddings? I am never getting married..." she declared adamantly.

"Never say never, Bells, you will meet the right boy one day and then your old dad will be feeling very poor." Charlie laughed as he once again ruffled Bella's hair.

"Don't worry, Bells. I will marry you." Jacob announced, he caught hold of her hand as he glared up at Charlie. He felt upset at the thought of Bella meeting another boy.

Billy noticed his son's angry expression and he quickly changed the subject. "We are just fooling around kids. You two do not need to worry your heads about all that."

"I am still not getting married..." Bella repeated stubbornly.

"Alright, kiddo we get the message..." Charlie rolled his eyes.

Jacob released Bella's hand when she once again reiterated her refusal to get married, he felt rejected. Billy winced at his son's crestfallen expression. "Hey Jake, the Chief has said we can stay for the night, that's great isn't it?" he said lamely.

Bella clapped her hands together in delight but Jacob just hung his head, still upset about Bella's perceived rejection. "S'pose..." he mumbled, scuffing the floor with his shoe.

Charlie was completely clueless as to why his friend's son was suddenly so defensive. "How about I order in a pizza? Don't tell your mom though, kiddo. You know she is still on her health kick."

Bella giggled and she nudged Jacob in the side, thinking he would find it funny too. He just kept his head down, hiding his expression behind his long black hair. She looked at him in confusion.

"Well that's settled then," Charlie broke the tense silence. He picked up the phone and began to place the order.

Billy left to go into the living room as a sports show was just starting. He hoped that Jacob would get over his pique about Bella's answer. His son was now permanently attached to Bella emotionally, even though neither of the children yet knew about the bond that they shared. Billy had been trying to ignore the issue but his son's reactions were giving him cause for concern. He needed some advice. He vowed to speak to Old Quil in the morning. For tonight he just wanted to relax.

XXXXXX

Bella was still totally bewildered by Jacob's change in attitude, one minute he had been happy and now he just looked hurt. She caught hold of his arm and tugged him toward the kitchen. He resisted at first, but Bella did not give in. When they were out of earshot she asked him what the matter was. "Why are you being so weird?"

"I'm not..."

"Yes, you are. I thought you would be happy that you can stay over?" She questioned.

Jacob finally raised his head and looked at her. "I am..."

"Well you don't look happy..." Bella was getting irritated with his short answers. "I don't understand you."

"You don't want to be my friend anymore. I said I would marry you and you said no." he blurted out.

Bella felt more confused than ever. This was what he was upset about? "Jake, I am never getting married. Look at my mom and dad, it never worked out for them. What has that got to do with us being friends?"

"You're not going to marry anyone, ever?" he checked.

"No...but if I ever did, then it would be you." She clarified, hoping to cheer him up.

Jacob considered this for a moment. "Okay..." he finally responded, giving her a tentative smile.

"You're funny, Jake. Why would you be worried about something like that? Our dad's were only teasing. We are way too young to think about that..." she returned his smile and tugged on his arm and led him into the living room to join his dad.

XXXXXX

When the pizza's arrived, they all gathered around the kitchen table. Bella only managed two slices before she announced that she was full, Charlie and Billy shared one pizza between them but Jacob was managing to plough his way through an entire one on his own. Bella and Charlie watched him in fascination as he ate one slice after another.

"Careful you don't choke on that, Jake..." Charlie said in amusement as he took a swig of his beer.

Billy, who was used to his son's huge appetite, gave him a sympathetic glance. The wolf gene meant that Jacob's metabolism was all over the place. He needed a lot of food to act as fuel when switching between his human and wolf forms. "You take after me, Jake, don't you?" Billy smiled, hoping that would stop Charlie saying anymore.

A faint red tinge touched Jacob's cheeks; he pushed the last of the pizza away and hung his head. Bella was once again confused by Jacob's sudden change in mood, her dad had only been teasing. Charlie too noticed Jacob's embarrassment. "I was only joking, Jake. You should see Bells when she eats chocolate, she literally Hoovers them up." He began to laugh as Bella rolled her eyes.

"Very funny dad..." she glanced sideways at Jacob and was relieved to see that he was smiling again as the attention was drawn away from him. Today she had seen how vulnerable he could really be, it made her heart melt and she made a silent vow never to be the one who hurt him.

XXXXXX

The evening passed quickly after that, while the two men watched their sport and drank more beer, Bella and Jacob played more card games. Bella even shyly showed Jacob her favorite books, she was a voracious reader. He listened as she read to him, the sound of her voice was soothing, and for the first time since the incident with the cold one, he fully relaxed. He didn't realize that he had fallen asleep until Billy shook him awake. He stared blearily up at his dad. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly eleven; Charlie has already carried Bella upstairs. We will be sleeping down here. Charlie has set up some camp beds for us." Billy helped his son to rise.

Jacob yawned. "Okay..." he walked over to the nearest camp bed and crawled into the sleeping bag. "Night dad..."

Billy gave him a small smile. "Night son..." He watched sadly as Jacob closed his eyes.

XXXXXX

Jacob did not know what instinct made him wake up; he sat up quickly and rubbed at his eyes. He slipped out of the sleeping bag and turned quickly to look at his dad. Billy was fast asleep. Jacob could see the rise and fall of his chest as he slept. Glad that his father was out for the count, Jacob crept out of the room and headed toward the stairs. He listened carefully with his enhanced hearing and heard whimpering coming from Bella's room, she was talking in her sleep and, even though it wasn't loud enough for Charlie or his dad to hear, to Jacob's ears it sounded loud. She was reliving the attack by the cold one. His heart beat faster as images of the attack and his part in ending the inhuman monster replayed in his own head. The feeling of nausea welled up into his stomach again and he doubled over trying to regain control.

Bella began crying softly to herself and this brought him out of his stupor. He sprinted up the stairs, his feet not making a sound. The door to Bella's room was ajar and he peeked in. She was thrashing about, her body tangled up in the covers. He could see a sheen of sweat on her forehead as she mumbled to herself. Jacob tiptoed into the room and knelt by her bed.

"Bells," he whispered. "Bells it's me, wake up."

At the sound of his voice Bella's eyes flared open, she turned her head and stared at him, wide eyed. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. "Jake, you're here..."

Jacob reached out and found her hand, he squeezed it gently. "I'm always here..."

Bella's eyes glistened with tears as she regarded him for a moment. "Stay with me..." she begged him.

Jacob just nodded. He watched as she untangled herself from the covers and pulled them up to her chin. He climbed onto the bed and lay on top of the covers, his supernatural body heat kept him overly warm. He held Bella's hand in his own and turned on his side so that he was facing her. "Night Bells." he murmured.

"G'night Jake..." Bella whispered as she closed her eyes and finally found sleep. Jacob yawned again before closing his own eyes and following her into slumber.

_**A/N-This chapter took me forever to write, nearly a whole month. I am not really happy with it, sighs...thanks for reading.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-sorry for the lateness of this chapter...**_

**Part Five-The Truth Hurts**

Jacob rolled onto his back and yawned, stretching each limb one by one. He turned his head, his long black hair spilling over the pillow as he looked at Bella. She was still fast asleep, her arms clutched the spare pillow against her chest, her long hair covering part of her face. Jacob watched her for a while, she seemed so peaceful, the long fan of her eyelashes created shadows on her pale cheeks as she breathed in and out gently. He felt thoroughly rested after the drama of the previous night. A part of him felt like it had been a surreal dream, he just wished that he could lay here next to Bella every night. Being with her brought him peace.

After a few more moments had passed Bella slowly began to wake. Jacob smiled as he watched her eyes flutter open to reveal her beautiful brown eyes. An answering smile crossed Bella's face as she finally focused on him. Like him, she yawned and stretched her limbs. Jacob thought she looked adorable.

"Hey..." he said in greeting as she turned once again to look at him, her long chestnut hair tangled around her face.

"Morning, do you know what the time is?" She asked him.

Jacob just shrugged, he was still mesmerised by her every move. "I have no idea..."

Bella slipped out of the bed and grabbed her jeans. She pulled out her wristwatch and gasped as she realised how late it was. "Oh no Jake, it's gone ten in the morning...our dads will be awake. I don't think mine will be happy to see you slept in my room..."

Jacob rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his hands. She was just too adorable. "Don't worry, Bells. My super hearing can tell when they wake up. At the moment I can clearly hear your dad snoring in his room and my dad's heart rate is slow. That means he is still asleep too." He boasted proudly.

Bella looked at him dubiously. "Your super hearing? Very funny Jake..."

Jacob swallowed nervously as he realised he had slipped up again. He just felt so comfortable around her that he just forgot to watch what he said. "I was just teasing..." he muttered.

"Right...you can be so weird sometimes Jake..." she replied, giving him a half smile.

"Yeah..." Jacob agreed, jumping off the bed easily and landing gracefully on his feet.

"Wow I wish I could do that," Bella said enviously. "I trip over my own feet just walking across a flat surface."

"I will always save you from the fall..." Jacob's tone turned serious.

Bella studied him carefully, he was such a paradox. One minute he acted like the ten year old boy that he was, the next he would say or do something that made him seem so much older then his years. She caught hold of his hand and tugged him after her. "Come on and let's go downstairs before my dad comes to wake me up."

Jacob laced his fingers with hers as he followed her out of her room and down the stairs.

XXXXXX

Bella was surprised to see that Jacob had been right. Billy was still fast asleep in the living room and, as they had passed her fathers room, the gentle snores emanating through the closed door indicated that he was still asleep too. She gave her new friend a curious glance. Jacob just gave her an endearing grin in return and whispered. "It was just a lucky guess..."

It was another hour before the two men finally woke up and made their way into the kitchen seeking a hot drink and some breakfast. They found their offspring already dressed and washing the dishes in the sink.

"You've already eaten, kiddo?" Charlie asked his daughter, running a hand through his hair making it stand up in spikes.

"Yeah, Jake and I got up early." She gave him a bright smile.

Billy gave his son an amused smile as he saw him industriously drying up the dishes that Bella passed to him. Jacob had to be bribed to do any domestic chores at home. Jacob felt his dad's eyes on him and he turned, giving him a sheepish smile. "Bells made me breakfast so I thought I should help clean up..."

Billy laughed. "Wait until I tell your sisters that you can actually do household chores. I think that Rach and Becca will be making you do your share from now on..." He teased him.

"Aww don't be mean to the boy, Billy?" Charlie joined in the laughter as he saw Jacob's horrified expression.

Bella smiled happily as she watched the interaction between them all. She loved the banter that the two men shared and their gentle teasing of Jacob. It felt like a thing that a normal family would do. It was at times like this that she wished that her parents had not divorced. As if he could sense how she was feeling, Bella felt Jacob's warm hand enclosing her own. She turned her gaze onto him as he gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

XXXXXXX

While their dads continued to get ready for the day, Bella and Jacob went outside into the backyard after faithfully promising not to wander off like the night before. It was a bright sunny morning, although it was still quite chilly. Bella was wrapped up in her thick fleece. Jacob however did not seem to be feeling the cold as he had not bothered with his coat and just wore a thin jumper. Bella had been thinking over the previous nights events. Some things were just not adding up. She studied Jacob carefully, the way he moved and the strange things he sometimes said. She had been so caught up the day before in her excitement about meeting the wolf that she had not bothered to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Why had he been on the road that night she and her mom had arrived? The excuse his dad had made had been pretty lame. Then there was the fact that he could contact the wolf when he pleased. He had never really explained that part. Her brow furrowed as she watched him scoop up a pile of leaves and throw them up in the air. His movements were so graceful, he did not make a sound when he moved, that was odd in itself. He never seemed to feel the cold either and his comment that morning about having super hearing. He had been right when he had told her that their dads were still asleep. He had brushed it off as a lucky guess but she was beginning to realise that he had probably been telling the truth about having enhanced hearing abilities.

All these thoughts whirled around in her mind as she continued to watch him playing about. He would turn occasionally and give her that sunny grin. Bella couldn't help but return it, he was such a sweet boy. Even though it had been only a couple of days since their reconnection she couldn't imagine not being able to see him everyday. It was as he approached her and carefully took her hand in his own and then stared into her eyes that it all became clear. It was the eyes that gave him away. As she looked back at him, it hit her. She was gazing directly into the eyes of her rescuer. Jacob was the wolf.

Jacob could see the play of emotions crossing Bella's face as she stared back at him. He watched as her lower lip began to tremble. A sick feeling began to make his stomach churn. Before he could stop her Bella gave out a small gasp and pulled her hands away from his.

"It was you..." She cried out.

"Bells..." he said uncertainly.

"You lied to me..." Bella backed away from him and turned toward the house, slamming the door after her.

XXXXXXX

"Sweetie, won't you come out? Poor Jake is crying his little heart out downstairs. I am sure that whatever your disagreement was about it can be fixed..." Renee had returned from visiting her friend to find her daughter locked in her room, Charlie outside the bedroom door begging his daughter to come out and an inconsolable Jacob being comforted by his dad.

"I don't want to see him right now..." Bella said faintly. "Please just tell him to go away."

Renee sighed as she heard Jacob pleading with his dad to get Bells to come back down so he could say sorry. She couldn't understand why her daughter was being so stubborn, this was not like her. She rapped on the door again. "Isabella you come out right now before I have your dad take the door off. I cannot believe that you are behaving like this young lady."

She heard movement inside the room and then the sound of the lock twisting as a red faced Bella emerged, it was obvious she had been crying too. Renee knelt down in front of her daughter. "What's wrong, Bella? What did you two argue about? One minute you are the best of friends and the next you are hiding in a locked room...talk to me sweetheart."

Bella hung her head, she did not know what to say. She could hardly tell her mom the truth, even though she was upset with Jacob because she felt like a fool because he had misled her, she knew that it was imperative that she kept his secret. "I want to go back home mom. Can we leave early?" She mumbled in reply.

Jacob began yelling that he was sorry. Bella realised that he must have heard what she had said. She flinched when she heard his dad telling him to calm down. Renee was looking at her daughter thoughtfully. This was not a rational reaction to two normal youngsters just having a tiff. Her daughter was hiding something and from the way that Billy was trying to restrain his son when she had first entered the house seemed odd.

"Bella that boy is distraught, even if he has upset you in some way he is clearly sorry. Take the higher ground sweetie and forgive him." Renee said reasonably. She could see that Bella was struggling to hold onto her anger. She waited for a tense few seconds before her daughter finally gave in and agreed to make up with Jacob.

"That's my Bella..." Renee said gently as she took hold of her hand and led the way down the stairs. She was determined to have a word with Billy about what he thought was going on. Renee was very perceptive when it came to reading people's faces and she knew that he was hiding something too or at least knew what was causing his son to have such an extreme reaction.

As soon as Jacob saw Bella he broke away from his dad's hold and ran over to her. He threw his arms around her waist and hugged her. "I'm so sorry..."

Bella felt startled. It took her a moment to respond. Jacob was looking at her sadly pleading for forgiveness with his soulful dark eyes. She couldn't stay mad. "It's okay,Jake..." she said eventually, finally ending his torment.

The adults all exchanged relieved glances, glad that the drama was over. As Billy's eyes locked with Renee's he grimaced. He knew that he was going to have to deflect some awkward questions from Bella's mom, she had always been more insightful than Charlie. For the moment though Renee offered to make them all a drink to take the heat off of the two youngsters and let them have a chance to talk. She led the way into the kitchen, the two men filing after her.

Bella and Jacob were now alone. She pulled out of his hold and gazed at him intently. "I want you to tell me the truth, Jake. I can't be your friend if you keep secrets from me."

Jacob wiped at his eyes and nodded. "I didn't mean too, but my dad and the elders insist that it has to be kept a secret otherwise I could get hurt. I feel so lonely Bells. Please don't leave me."

Bella felt her anger slip away. She took his hands in her own. "You will never be alone. I am your friend, Jake and I promise that it you trust me with your secret I will never tell anyone, ever." She vowed.

Jacob held onto her hands tightly. "I trust you, Bells. Come back outside where no one can overhear us and I will tell you everything."

Bella gave him a wry smile as he tugged on her hands and led the way out to the back yard.

_**A/N-Thanks for reading! **_


	6. Chapter 6

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Six-Talks**

Jacob led Bella toward the back of the yard closest to the trees. He wanted to make certain that none of the adults overheard what he was about to reveal. A part of him worried over whether he was doing the right thing. His dad and the elders had been so insistent that he keep it a secret, but he felt compelled to tell Bella. He felt so lonely a lot of the time having to keep this burden all to himself. He trusted Bella implicitly, anyway she had already seen him in wolf form and she had not been afraid. In fact she seemed to love being around the wolf.

Taking a deep breath Jacob slowly revealed everything to her. "It happened after my mom died, I was so upset and felt angry that she had been taken away. My dad told me that was probably the trigger. My family and a few others of the tribe carry the wolf gene. Never before in our history has anybody phased so early. When it last happened the boys were well into their teens..."

Bella's eyes widened at this piece of news, it all sounded so unbelievable. If she hadn't seen the proof with her own eyes then she would have thought Jacob was living in a fantasy world. Her heart went out to him, not only had he lost his mother but he had to deal with this huge change in his life as well. She moved closer to him and gave him a quick hug. "I am sorry you had to go through all that, Jake..." she said softly.

Jacob gave her a sad smile. "It was hard and I admit that I am still struggling. I can't always control the wolf. That's why you and your mom found me on the road that night. I sometimes phase spontaneously and end up in places that I never intended to go."

"I can't imagine how that must feel to you. Why does your tribe carry the wolf gene? Is it because of the bad man who attacked me last night." Bella's voice became a whisper as she trembled at the memory of her attack by the pale man who called himself James. He may have looked human but he clearly wasn't.

Jacob reached out and took her shaking hands in his own. "Yes, he is what we call a cold one, or a vampire as they are generally known. Our tribe have known of their existence for centuries, although the general populace think they are only legends. They tend to favour this area because of the remote location and the weather conditions..."

Bella frowned. "Huh? What difference do the weather conditions make, they can only come out late at night anyway..." she interjected.

Jacob gave her a rueful smile. "These are not the storybook vamps, Bells. The real ones can walk about in the day, as long as it is overcast. Their skin is hard, like marble and glitters like diamonds when the sun shines. That is why they avoid sunnier climes and hang around places like this."

A giggle escaped Bella's lips at his explanation. She clamped a hand over her mouth, it was a serious subject after all. "Sorry, Jake...I didn't mean to laugh. It's just the thought of glittering vampires sounds so funny."

Jacob gave her a sunny grin. He loved hearing her laugh and it eased the tension. "It is weird, I suppose that was where the legend of them only coming out at night was born."

They stared at each other quietly for a few seconds. Ever so slowly Bella leaned forward and kissed Jacob on the cheek. He gazed at her in wonder. "Thanks for saving my life. I am sorry about earlier."

"T-that's okay, Bells," he stammered, his hand flying to his cheek where his skin still tingled from her kiss.

Bella smiled at him and suddenly sat down on the ground, pulling him down with her. She crossed her legs and faced him, an inquisitive expression on her face. "Tell me more Jake. I want to know everything."

Jacob settled across from her and returned her smile. He then began to re tell the legends of his ancestors to her, drawing her into the story of the last wolf pack and their desperate fight for survival against the cold ones.

XXXXXX

Renee took the first opportunity she had to get Billy alone. Charlie received a call from work and he left the room to talk in private to his deputy, who seemed to be having difficulty dealing with a simple traffic violation. They could both hear Charlie's raised voice as he berated his employee.

"Seems like they can't cope without the Chief for even a few days..." Billy said lamely, trying to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere.

Renee just stared at Billy shrewdly, knowing full well that he was trying to wriggle out of talking about what had happened earlier. She decided to be blunt. "What are you hiding?"

Billy flinched at the question. He hadn't expected her to be so direct. "I don't know what you mean?" He hedged.

Renee arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't bullshit me Billy Black, I can tell that you are lying. Why was your son so upset earlier? He and my daughter have become very attached in a short space of time..." She waited for his answer.

Billy swallowed nervously, he was beginning to feel trapped. What was taking Charlie so long? "I am not sure what you expect me to say. They used to play together when they were toddlers. Why is it so hard to believe that they just have a connection." He said eventually.

"Connection? That is an odd choice of word. Look Billy, I am not an idiot. That lame reasoning about why Jake was lying in the middle of the road in the freezing cold won't wash with me. If this involves my daughter than I demand an explanation." Renee insisted.

Billy tried to stare Renee down but in the end he was the first to drop his gaze. "Please, I can't tell you anymore..."

"Can't or won't?" She shot back at him. "If there is some kind of problem I think it best if Jake and Bella don't spend anymore time together." Renee didn't mean what she had just said, she just wanted to see Billy's reaction and as she had anticipated she got one.

"No Renee please, it would hurt them both if you separated them..." Billy blurted out involuntarily.

Renee studied him carefully. "I was just testing you Billy. I would never stop them seeing each other. Why would it hurt them if they were separated? I saw Jake's reaction earlier when he thought Bella didn't want to be his friend anymore. It was way too extreme for a boy his age. I am Bella's mother and I need to know what is going on..."

Billy sat down on the sofa and dropped his head in his hands. "I can't tell you. I am so tightly bound by the tribal rules...Shit I wish Sarah was here..." His shoulders began shaking as he thought about his dead wife.

Renee winced, she sat next to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Billy. I shouldn't have pushed you. But you have to understand that I have to look out for my daughter..."

Billy sighed and turned his head to look at her. "I know and you are right. After I leave here I am going to visit Old Quil, I need his advice about something. I think you should come too, he won't like it but if what I suspect has happened then you need to be aware."

A panicky feeling fluttered in Renee's stomach, he sounded so serious. She nodded in agreement, having no more to say for the moment. They sat next to each other in silence until Charlie came back into the room.

XXXXXX

"I have to go into work..." Charlie said irritably. "Mac has messed up again. I will try to make it quick."

Renee gave him an understanding smile. "It's okay Charlie. Bella will understand, anyway she and Jake can keep each other amused. I actually thought I might head to the res with Billy. Bella expressed a wish to see where Jake lives again, she can't really remember when she was there before." She lied easily.

"Really? You don't mind? What does Billy say?" Charlie questioned her in surprise.

"He was the one who suggested it..." Renee said quickly.

Charlie shrugged, his mind already back at work. "Okay, well I'll see you both later on..." he said distractedly.

"Yeah, see you later..." Renee gave him a quick wave. She watched as he went outside to tell Bella the news and let out a heavy sigh, worry about what she was going to learn making her stomach churn.

XXXXXX

It began to rain heavily as Billy approached Old Quil's family home with Renee accompanying him. They had left Jacob and Bella with the Clearwaters. Harry had been surprised to see Renee and Billy could see that his old friend was dying to ask what the hell was going on but wisely kept his counsel, surrounded as he was with curious ears.

"Are you sure that he will be okay with me being here?" Renee asked nervously, the rain plastering her shoulder length hair to her head.

Billy gave her a wry smile. "Nope, but if I asked him if you could come he would have just refused, with you here he will have much more trouble."

Renee eyed him dubiously. "Why do I feel so scared about confronting an old man?" She said, half in jest.

Billy snorted. "I feel like that every time, believe me. Old Quil can be quite intimidating. Why do you think he still holds his position as head of the Council of Elders..."

"Aren't you the chief though? Do you have to consult them about every decision you make"She questioned.

Billy just nodded. "That is the way it has always been...are you ready to go in?" He checked with her.

Renee took a determined breath and nodded. "Yeah...I'm ready."

Billy caught her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before rapping loudly on the door...

_**A/N-Thanks for reading... **_


	7. Chapter 7

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Seven-Renee Reveals the Truth**

It seemed an age before they heard the shuffling footsteps of Old Quil approaching the door. Renee and Billy exchanged a look before it was pulled open just enough for the old man's face to peer out at them.

"Billy?" Old Quil opened the door wider as he saw who it was. He moved forward, a cane held tightly in his hand keeping him steady.

"Yes, Quil it's me. I need your advice..." Billy came straight to the point. He knew that the old man preferred it that way.

Old Quil had finally noticed Renee, who was standing just behind Billy. His eyes narrowed as he studied her with a wary expression. "And who might you be?" He demanded waving the cane near her face.

Renee stepped back in alarm. "I am Renee Swan..." she mumbled as the cane narrowly avoided taking her eye out.

"Swan?" Old Quil questioned in his gravelly voice. "Are you a relation to Charlie Swan, the police chief..."

Billy decided it was best to intervene. He stepped in front of Renee and faced the old man down. "Yes she is his former wife and is here at my invitation..."

"For what reason may I ask?" Quil asked suspiciously.

Renee was getting irritated with the old man's questions. Before Billy could speak she stepped in front of him and confronted Old Quil. "I can speak for myself thank you. I am here because I want some answers. My daughter Bella has become a close friend of young Jacob Black and I have noticed a few odd things that I want an explanation for. So if you don't mind I would rather not discuss it standing on your doorstep..." she finished her little speech and barged past the old man, entering his house uninvited.

Old Quil was speechless, he looked up at a startled Billy and then returned his attention to Renee who was waiting in the hallway impatiently for the two men to follow. Billy winced, expecting the elder to explode and demand that she leave, but to his surprise he heard Old Quil chuckle to himself. "I like a feisty woman, reminds me of my wife. Come in Billy before I catch a chill. These old bones feel the cold now you know." He gestured for Billy to enter the house.

XXXXXX

One of Old Quil's numerous grandchildren, a girl who went by the name of Maria, was sent to make them all a warm cup of tea. The old man had settled himself in his favourite armchair and made Billy and Renee sit on a worn out old couch opposite him. He eyed them both shrewdly. He took in Billy's nervousness and Renee's quiet confidence. He recalled hearing about the time that this woman had left Charlie Swan. Billy and Harry's wives had not had a good word about her, calling her flighty and selfish. The chief was a good friend to the people who lived on the res and anybody who hurt him in any way was always branded a bad person. Despite the fact that he was reaching the last years of his life and very set in his ways, Old Quil remained a very good judge of character. This woman obviously had her own reasons about why she had left her marriage, but it seemed that over the years she and Charlie had forged an amicable post divorce relationship. That could not be said about many other couples.

He waited for his granddaughter to return with the drinks then asked her to give them all some privacy as important tribal business was about to be discussed. Young Maria gave them a curious look before leaving the room, closing the heavy door behind her. Old Quil then leaned forward in his chair and looked Billy straight in the eye."Tell me what has happened between young Jacob and this woman's daughter to cause you both so much concern?" He asked bluntly.

Billy let out a heavy sigh, giving a quick glance Renee's way before answering. "I have reason to believe that Jacob and Bella are imprinted..."

This answer took the wind out of Old Quil's sails. He slumped back in his chair in shock. "Are you absolutely sure?" He asked.

"As sure as I can be. I have watched them together the last two days and the way they are with each other has confirmed it." He replied tiredly.

Renee felt confused, not having any idea what they were talking about. "What is imprinting? Will one of you explain what the hell you are talking about?"

Old Quil locked eyes with Billy momentarily. Then after a tense few seconds he gave him an imperceptible nod, giving him his permission to tell Renee more. If what Billy said was true they would need this woman's co-operation. She and her daughter lived in another state, if Renee took Bella away from Jacob for a long period, the separation could harm them both.

Billy turned to Renee and gave her a wan smile. "What I am about to tell you is unbelievable, but I need you to suspend your disbelief, Jake and Bella's future depends on it..." He said his tone deadly serious.

Renee felt her heart flutter painfully in her chest as she faced Billy. "Tell me please..." she whispered, panic written all over face. Billy took a deep breath and began his tale...

XXXXXX

Jacob and Bella were sitting close together on the Clearwater's sofa watching some old cartoons. Sue was in the kitchen with the twin's teaching them how to make up a simple casserole. Now that their mother was gone she wanted the girls to be able to rustle up some food for themselves at short notice if Billy was busy. Harry was outside with his son, Seth who had just turned six. They were kicking a ball back and forth to each other. Harry had tried to get Jacob to join in but he had refused to leave Bella's side.

Just as the cartoon reached it's climax, the front door was pushed open. It hit the wall with a crash making Bella jump. Jacob was not startled at all, he heard the person approaching the house even before they made their entrance and he recognised the scent. Leah Clearwater barrelled into the main living room. She was wearing an old pair of dungarees and her usual scowl. Her long, black hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. When her eyes rested on Bella she frowned.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

Bella shrank back from Leah's fierce glare. "Be...Bell..." she stuttered.

"Belly?" Leah said sarcastically.

Jacob stood up and confronted Leah, annoyed at her bolshy attitude. "It's Bella, stop being so horrible."

Leah just shrugged, not in the least bothered by Jacob's defensiveness. "Calm down little boy...whatya both watching?"

"Cart...cartoons..." Bella stammered again, unable to control her voice in front of this intimidating girl.

Leah marched over and sat down in Jacob's spot, she studied Bella for a moment and then turned her attention to the television. "Bit old to be watching baby stuff aren't you? How old are you girl?"

"There was nothing else on..." Jacob said mulishly before Bella could reply. He shoved Leah unceremoniously to one side and resumed his former place next to Bella.

"Hey..." Leah yelled. "This is my house..."

Jacob grinned at her. "So...what are you going to do about it?" He taunted her. Bella stared at him in shock, this was a side she had not seen to Jacob so far.

Leah scowled back at him. "Douche..." she snapped, moving over to sit near the end of the sofa.

"Idiot..." Jacob retaliated. He picked up the controls and changed the channel, earning another insult from Leah. Bella watched in fascination as the two of them traded insults until Sue Clearwater called out for them to quieten down.

XXXXXX

Renee sat back in her seat, she felt stunned. The story that Billy had just related to her sounded implausible and the stuff of fantasy. The two men watched the changing expressions crossing her face.

"You must think we are mad..."Old Quil said eventually breaking the tense silence. He gave her a wry smile.

A shudder ran through Renee's body as she looked at them both. She was reliving a horrific memory that had been the catalyst for the end of her marriage and the real reason why she had left Forks. Hearing today that her young daughter had been nearly killed by the very same type of creature that she herself had faced all those years ago made her feel sick. Her breathing became erratic as she tried to get herself under control.

"Renee are you alright?"Billy asked in concern as she gasped for breath, her hands wound around her middle like she was trying to hold herself together. He reached across and took hold of one of her hands and squeezed it tightly.

Old Quil peered at her, his quick mind already guessing the reason behind her strange reaction."You've encountered a cold one before haven't you?" He questioned her astutely.

Renee's head shot up as she stared wide eyed back at the old man. Billy frowned as he tried to absorb this piece of news. "Is this true?" He asked her.

"Yes..."Renee whispered. "Years ago, not long after Bella was born. I went out for a walk to get some fresh air. I was getting tired of being cooped up in the house. Charlie had to go back into work. I put Bella in her pram and went for a stroll. It was late evening, not many people were about. I left the main high street and wandered near the edge of the forest and that was...was..." She began to hyperventilate as she told her story.

Billy kept a tight hold on her hand as he exchanged a worried look with Old Quil."It's okay Renee..." he said softly.

Renee took a moment to get herself under control. The images of her assailant were fresh in her mind, just like all those years ago."I heard a noise and went closer to the edge of the trees to investigate. Before I knew what had happened I was grabbed by the arm and pulled into the trees. I let go of Bella's pram, I could hear my daughter crying and there was nothing I could do...I got a good look at the man who had hold of me. He was very pale, dark circles under his eyes. He actually looked very anaemic. He was scruffily dressed in old jeans and a ripped shirt, but it was his eyes that really freaked me out, they were blood red. I tried to scream but I just lost my voice. He didn't speak, just kept sniffing and licking his lips."

"After a while," she continued. "I heard another noise and we were joined by another person, a female this time, with skin as pale as his. The difference being that she had vivid red hair. The man shoved me to my knees and pulled my head back to expose my neck...'Do you want to do the honours, Vicki?' he asked her. She just gave him a sly smile and crouched down as if ready to attack...then Bella cried again..."

Renee began to weep in earnest. Billy edged closer and put his arm around her shoulder, trying to offer what comfort he could. Her story was horrific. "This stopped the woman in her tracks. Her expression changed, an odd look crossed her face and she caught hold of my chin and yanked my head up so that I had to stare into her red eyes. 'Your baby has saved your miserable life...if I were you I would leave this place before the same fate happens to your baby...' she let go of my face and rejoined the man forcing him to leave with her. He wasn't happy about it. Once they were gone I fled back to Bella and ran all the way home." She reached the end of her tale.

Billy hugged her into his side as she cried on his shoulder. "Did you tell Charlie? I don't remember him ever telling me about this?" He asked gently.

"I did, but when I mentioned their red eyes and told him I didn't believe that they were human, he thought I was dreaming that part. He told me perhaps I was overtired that night and mistook what I saw. He launched an investigation, but they never found any trace of the couple." She said sadly.

"Is that why you left Renee?" Old Quil's voice was laced with sympathy.

"Yes, I felt so resentful against Charlie for not believing what I had seen and I remembered the red headed females warning. Bella's safety was my top priority. Charlie refused to leave Forks, so I had no choice...I had to end the marriage and go. I was too scared to stay..." She replied.

"I am so sorry Renee, none of us knew. Charlie never mentioned it to us." Billy told her.

She gave him a rueful smile. "Of course he wouldn't, he didn't want you all to think I was mad, did he?" Renee sank back in her seat and closed her eyes, exhaustion creeping over her. Billy and Old Quil looked at Renee with new eyes, finally understanding her reasons for fleeing all those years ago.

_**A/N-Thanks for reading? What do you all think now? Do you sympathise with Renee? Is it more clear now why she was so insightful about the situation with Jake and Bella? I would love to hear your thoughts, thanks... **_


	8. Chapter 8

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Eight-Imprinting**

Bella looked at herself dubiously in the mirror in Leah's bedroom. She was dressed in a spare pair of Leah's dungarees and was sporting the same messy ponytail that the other girl wore. Leah stood behind her, a proud expression on her face. She had just completed her first make over.

"Well girl, what do you think?" She demanded impatiently.

"Err...the dungarees are a bit long. What if I trip over them?" Bella questioned worriedly. "I can be a bit clumsy at times."

Leah rolled her eyes. "You don't say, I saw you trip over nothing earlier. Just roll the legs up a bit more, it will be fine."

Bella leaned down and did her best to roll the stiff denim so that she would have freedom of movement when she walked. Leah was so much taller than she was, even though there was only a year between them. "Why did I need a makeover again?" She mumbled.

"Because it makes you look more fierce. If you're gonna hang around that idiot Jake, then you need to toughen up. There are not many girls to make friends with around here. I am trying to do you a favour." She shot back mulishly.

"What about Rachel and Rebecca, they're girls..." Bella said in confusion.

Leah snorted through her nose at the mention of Jacob's twin sisters. "The gruesome twosome, please they haven't got a nice bone in their body. Steer clear that's my advice."

"Really? I am sure that Rebecca smiled at me earlier..." Bella wasn't sure that Leah was leading her in the right direction. She wanted to go out and join Jacob. He had been cajoled into playing footie with Harry and Seth.

Leah crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I see you don't believe me, huh? That wasn't a smile that was a sneer. Come with me Swan and I'll prove it to you." Without further ado she grabbed hold of Bella's hand and dragged her out of the bedroom and into the main living room. The twins were sitting watching the television.

"Hello witches..." Leah said in greeting as she glared at the twins. "What are you up to?"

Bella flushed red as she watched Rebecca and Rachel turn to look at them, matching expressions of disdain on their pretty faces. She tried to say something but felt lost for words. No wonder they didn't get on with Leah if that is how she spoke to them.

"Charming as ever, Leah. Run off and play in the dirt you little earthworm and take your pathetic sidekick with you." Rebecca sneered. She brushed her shiny black hair away from her face as she exchanged a smug smile with her sister.

Leah just shrugged her shoulders and turned away from them. "I told you girl, they are evil. It's the only time that I actually feel sorry for Jake, having to be related to them."

Bella felt inclined to agree, she glanced over at the twins again and Rebecca gave her another dirty look before resuming watching the television. "Can we go join Jake now?" She pleaded with Leah.

"If we must, but if you trip up trying to kick the ball, don't expect me to help you up." Leah strode confidently out of the house, Bella stumbling behind her.

XXXXXX

"Goal..." Jacob crowed as he kicked the ball past an irritated Leah who had been forced to play goalie.

"That was a fluke..." she yelled as Jacob did a little war dance, making Bella yell out as he suddenly grabbed her hands and swung her around with him.

"Get over it Clearwater. Just admit that you have no talent..." He laughed in glee as Leah threw the ball toward his head, but missed.

Seth had his hands over his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. His sister shot him a glare and he tried to appear suitably chastened, but as soon as she turned away his lips parted in an amused grin.

Harry strolled over to his daughter and ruffled her hair. "Aww come on Lee Lee it's just a game, don't take things so seriously."

Leah scowled up at him. "Typical boys always stick together. Come on Swan, lets leave these idiots to their pathetic game."

Bella looked between Jacob and Leah, she would rather stay with him but this was Leah's house. Jacob sensed her worry and he caught her hand and squeezed it. "Go on, it's alright, Bells. I will be in soon. Go with Lee if you want."

She smiled at him gratefully before following an impatient Leah back into the house.

XXXXXX

Renee stared at the two men in shock. "Move back to Forks? You can't be serious? Didn't you hear what I just said? I moved away for the safety of my daughter. I only bring her back for short visits because Charlie has visitation rights. I am sorry but I will not place her in danger again, she was nearly hurt, if it hadn't been for young Jake then who knows what could have happened. I left this place to keep her safe, you can't ask me to come back."

Billy tried to keep calm, he knew that everything she said was true, but she still didn't grasp the full import of the situation if Jacob and Bella were separated. He looked at her pleadingly. "Renee, I understand how you feel and I completely agree with you. Under any other circumstances I would advise you to stay right where you are, but Jake and Bella are imprinted. I am not joking when I said that the consequences could be dire if they are not allowed to see each other every day. You have seen yourself how close they already are after only a few days. For Jake to show Bella his wolf confirms that they share this unique bond."

Renee gazed at him anxiously. "What would happen?" She whispered.

Old Quil shifted forward in his seat as he took over the explanation from Billy. His husky voice drew all of Renee's attention as he spoke. "At first it would merely feel like a pain in their chest, imprinted couples can bear separation for a few days without too much risk. They would feel uncomfortable and miss the other terribly, but it is bearable. After a week it gets worse, they find it hard to function without any contact with their other half, the pain increases as they yearn to be reunited. For Jake especially the consequences could be more severe, his wolf would force him to seek Bella out. He would leave the one place where he is safe and travel out into an unkind and dangerous world. He would continue to search for her and unable to find her would become weaker and lose the will to carry on. Your daughter too would take to her bed as her soul mate wither's away without her..."

"Enough..." Renee cried out in despair. She put her head in her hands and sobbed quietly. The two men gave her a moment to compose herself.

"I am so sorry to burden you with this Renee. I wish there was another way." Billy said regretfully.

Renee raised her head and stared at the two men, a fearful light in her eyes. "Where would we live? I wouldn't feel safe in Forks...look what has already happened to my little girl...and poor Jake, only ten and having to face that monster down and kill it..." she shuddered at the thought.

"We could find you a house on the res, you would be more protected here. Jacob would be close by..." Old Quil suggested.

Billy and Renee exchanged a wry smile. "Charlie would not go for that. He would wonder why I just didn't relocate back to Forks. He would start asking awkward questions...unless you are planning on telling him?"

Old Quil shook his head. "I am afraid that is impossible at the present time. As it is I am going to have a fight on my hands with the other council members, they will not be happy that you know about this..."

Billy frowned. "Well it's about time the old fools woke up to what is happening around them. Times have changed and the fact that my son has phased and killed his first vampire is testament to that. We have not been troubled very much by the cold ones for years, they usually pass through here, maybe they have forgotten about the old wolf pack. But they have been getting bolder of late, trespassing on the tribal lands. There has to be a valid reason why my boy has had his life turned upside down. Our lands need protecting..."

Old Quil nodded in agreement. "I know and I have been doing my utmost to get them to break free of the rigid rules of the past. If I could get Isaiah to pull his head in then the others would follow, but you know he is power hungry and would like nothing more than to take control of the council and usurp me as the leader." He said fiercely.

Billy scowled. "He is a fool."

Renee sighed, she was getting tired of hearing about the complicated tribal manoeuvring. "Please this is not helping. What am I supposed to do? I have a job back in Phoenix, where am I supposed to work around here?"

"I am sorry, Renee," Billy apologised again. "I know that this is daunting for you. I still think you should move onto the res, it will be the safest option. As for Charlie...he is going to have to just accept it."

"That's easy for you. I am the one who is going to have to come up with a believable excuse as to why I am suddenly upping sticks and coming back to the one place I fled from."

"Just tell him you are doing it for Bella, that she wants to have both her parents nearby. He loves Bella, he would believe that." Billy suggested.

"Why can't we tell him the truth?" Renee asked one last time.

Old Quil eyed her shrewdly. "He didn't believe you the last time, did he? Charlie is a practical man and only sees the world in black and white. He takes after his own father, I remember James Swan, he was a good man but very rigid in the way he viewed the world."

Renee winced at the reminder of Charlie not believing her story when she was attacked all those years ago. The look on his face when she had kept insisting that she had been attacked by a man and a woman with glowing red eyes, had been hurtful. He had stared at her as if she was losing it. He had kept saying as much. He thought she was suffering with some kind of post natal depression, she recalled when he had brought home a card and suggested she speak to a therapist. She shoved those memories from her mind, things were better between them now. It had taken a lot of work but they shared a good post divorce friendship, she did not want to damage that.

"It seems that I have no choice but to go along with this insane plan..." she grumbled.

Billy smiled at her in relief. "Thank you..." he pulled her in for a quick hug.

Old Quil reached across and patted her hand. "It will all fall into place I am sure. I will get my son to begin hunting out suitable accommodation for you"

"Okay..." Renee agreed. "I will have to enrol Bella at the school in Forks and then I will need to return home to begin packing up my stuff to ship it back here."

"I will make sure that Bella is safe while you are doing that. I will ask Charlie to come up here for the next couple of days on a fishing trip." Billy promised.

Renee took a deep breath to calm her fears. "Well I guess that means you guys are gonna have a new neighbour..." she joked lamely.

Billy gave her a small smile. "Welcome to La Push Renee Swan..."

_**A/N-Well I know there was not much Jake and Bella in this chapter, but I really needed to get some important stuff covered in this chapter, the main one being getting Renee to agree to move back to the area. I would love to know your thoughts, thanks for reading! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Part Nine-Arguement**

Billy sat in front of the T.V watching a sports round up programme. Charlie was sitting on the old couch, legs stretched out as he drank a can of beer. The two men had not spoken much since Charlie's arrival. He had been surprised to get a call from Billy asking him if he wanted to go on a fishing expedition for the weekend. He had refused at first, after all this was supposed to be his week with Bella, but Billy had managed to persuade him to come up to La Push and stay. He said that Bella was eager to spend time with her new friend, Jake. He had told Charlie that since Jake had been spending time with Bella, he seemed a lot happier since Sarah's passing. Charlie could not argue with that.

Charlie was still in the dark about Renee's plans to relocate to La Push, she and Billy had decided it was best if she packed up her life in Phoenix first and when it was all settled they would let him know. They hoped that as the wheels would already be set in motion than Charlie would accept it better. Secretly Renee knew that her ex-husband would probably kick off and would think it was another one of her flighty plans to uproot their daughter. She guessed he would argue about why she was going to live on the res and not Forks. She knew that she was going to have a confrontation on her hands.

The door suddenly burst open and the twins, Rebecca and Rachel ran into the house, yelling loudly. Billy winced at their high pitched voices. "What is it girls?" He asked irritably.

"Jake just threw mud at me..." Rebecca whined. "I am sick of him acting out dad, you're gonna have to do something about him."

"He wouldn't throw mud at you for no reason, Becca. Tell me the full story." Billy asked her.

A stubborn glint shined in Rebecca's eyes as she looked at her dad with disdain. "He is running wild..." she muttered. "I did nothing to provoke him."

Billy let out a resigned sigh. He knew that Rebecca was lying, she had a mean streak. He had no idea where from. He turned his attention to her twin, Rachel. She had her head down and was scuffing her shoes along the hardwood floor nervously. "Rach, what happened?"

"Becca kicked Jake's mud pie and it splattered all over Bella..." she admitted. She had never been able to lie to her dad. She flinched as Rebecca shot her a venomous look.

Charlie gave his old friend a sympathetic glance, he certainly had his hands full with the girls. He got up from the couch. "I'll just go outside and check on Bella and Jake." He said, giving Billy space to deal with his daughters.

XXXXXX

Bella lay back against the warm furry side of the russet wolf. Her face was streaked with dirt, and her t-shirt was covered in splashes of mud. After Jacob's sister had meanly kicked and stomped all over their mud pies, Jacob had lost his temper. He had scooped up a large fistful of mud and thrown it at his sister in retaliation for what she had done. Rebecca had cursed him and then ran inside the house, yelling for her dad. Rachel had followed slowly behind her twin, looking a bit scared. Bella got the impression that Rebecca was very intimidating and controlled poor Rachel. She felt sorry for her.

When the twins disappeared inside the house, Bella had turned all her attention onto Jake. To her dismay she saw that he was actually vibrating with anger. Some innate instinct told her that she needed to calm him down. She wasn't hurt at all, it was only a bit of mud, but Jacob was very protective of her and could overreact a bit when he thought someone had hurt her.

"Jake, please I am fine...just try and let the anger go. You can't phase here, my dad is in the house." She begged him.

Jacob squeezed his eyes shut trying to calm himself down. He still had a lot of trouble controlling the wolf. He had been doing better since the night that Renee and Bella had found him by the side of the road. That had a lot to do with the girl sitting in front of him. Her presence in his life made it so much easier to deal with. But when incidents like this happened it set him back. He counted to ten in his head, but all he could see in his mind was his sisters nasty sneer and her kicking the mud straight at Bella in a fit of pique.

"Bells...I can't stop it..." he whispered sadly. "I need to get out of here..."

Bella laid a cool hand on his arm. "Go then Jake. I will head to the first line of trees and you can meet me there. I would like to see the wolf again..." she said gently, trying to lighten the mood.

Jacob shot her a grateful smile before he legged it for the surrounding forest and disappeared between the trees. Bella gave him five minutes before she entered the trees herself, as she looked around for him anxiously a small whine made her turn around in a circle. A smile lit up her face when the large russet toned wolf emerged from his hiding place and cautiously approached her. She ran over to him closing the small distance between them and flung her arms around his neck. The wolf lowered his head and rested it on top of hers, relief coursing through his body.

After their reunion they decided to remain hidden in the trees. Jacob would take a while to phase back, it was not something he could do at will just yet. The elders had told him it was something he would have more control over as he grew. Bella was warm lying next to the wolf and she stretched as tiredness made her eyes droop. She snuggled closer into his warm fur and let her eyes close.

"I am just gong to have a nap, Jake..." she mumbled.

The wolf nodded his head and he rolled back onto his side, giving Bella more room to stretch. He watched her sleep for a while, at times she would talk in her sleep. He could not understand exactly what she was saying, the words were mumbled. She flopped onto her back and he saw the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Jacob was feeling tired himself and he eventually rested his head near to hers and let his eyes drift closed.

XXXXXXX

Charlie hunted around outside for his daughter and Jacob. So far he had seen no sign. He looked inside the garage that bordered the Black's property, maybe the kids were hiding out in there. Worry made his brow furrow as he found no trace of them. He ran out of the garage and his eyes scanned the tree line. Surely they wouldn't have wandered into the forest again, not after last time? He retraced his steps to the front of the house, examining the ground where Bella and Jake had been purportedly making the mud pies. He could clearly see the small indents in the mud from his daughters shoes. Jacob's footprints were nearby, he kept his keen eyes to the ground as he tracked the path his daughter and Jake seemed to have taken. His fear was proved right as he realised they led straight into the trees.

"Damn, Bells...why have you done this again?" Charlie said to himself as he began to run toward the forest.

It got darker the further Charlie walked into the dense trees. He was still following his daughter's footprints, his anxiety increased as he noticed that Jake's were not next to hers. Had they been separated? He did not call out as he did not want her to panic. After another moment passed Bella's footprints petered out, Charlie raised his head and he staggered back as he finally caught sight of his daughter. He rubbed at his eyes as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Bella was laying on the forest floor, her head resting on one of her arms as she slept. Wrapped around her was a large russet wolf, the animal had one foreleg placed over her body. The wolf too seemed to be asleep. Charlie had never seen anything like this in his life. He continued to stare at them for a few moments, feeling completely dazed.

It was at this point that Jacob's wolf felt his fur prickle, someone was watching him. His eyes opened and he raised his head. He let out a panicked whimper as he looked straight ahead and saw a stunned Charlie Swan standing a few feet away. The man and the wolf stared at each other momentarily before Jacob got to his feet, being careful not to hurt Bella. He backed away quickly before taking off into the trees.

The sudden loss of Jacob's warmth made Bella stir, she sat up suddenly, her long hair laying in a tangled mop around her pale face. She glanced around for the wolf but he was gone. She scrambled onto her feet as worry coursed through her. Where was Jake? She twisted around in a circle and that is when she noticed her father standing not too far away, a stunned expression on his face.

"Daddy..." Bella said uncertainly. Had he seen Jacob's wolf? By the look on his face she guessed that he had.

The sound of her voice brought Charlie out of his stupor and he ran over to her and gathered her in his arms. "Kiddo...what the hell was that? You were...the wolf...what is going on?" He questioned her.

Bella gulped nervously. She had no idea what to say. She decided to play dumb. "Huh...what do you mean? I just fell asleep..."she said lamely.

"Bells there was a freaking great wolf lying next to you. Are you telling me that you didn't know it was there..." he demanded disbelievingly. "You were lucky it didn't harm you. What the hell are you doing out here anyway? After the last time I warned you to stay out of the woods..."

"I'm sorry dad. Jake and I were playing hide and seek. He kept finding me too easily, so I thought that if I hid in here he would take longer to find me. I got lost and I sat down for a rest and sorta fell asleep." She hid her face behind her hair, knowing that if her dad could see her red face he would be able to tell she was lying.

Charlie was still suffering from the shock of seeing a dangerous animal lying next to his vulnerable daughter so he did not question her rushed explanation. Bella began to cry, so Charlie lifted her up in his arms and carried her back out of he forest and toward the Black's little red house. Bella's head was resting on his shoulder and just before they left the forest she caught a glimpse of the russet toned wolf looking out at her through the trees.

XXXXXX

When Charlie blurted out what he had witnessed in the forest when he went to search for Bella and Jacob to Billy, the latter felt his heart sink. As if he did not have enough to deal with. Billy glanced at Bella, who was half hidden behind her dad.

"Why don't you go and wash up honey." He said kindly.

Bella nodded and gave him a grateful smile. She looked up at him, trying to tell Billy with her eyes that his son was fine and would be back soon. She saw Jacob's dad nod at her slightly and knew that he understood. She left the main room and fled to the bathroom so that she could wash up quickly and then wait for Jacob in his room. Surely he had to return soon, she needed to make sure his window was open so he could sneak inside.

The two men were left alone, Billy watched Charlie pace back and forth running a hand through his hair. "Billy, we can't have that creature wandering around close to human habitation. We were just lucky it didn't hurt Bella." He said eventually.

Billy grimaced, he knew where this was leading. "It was a one off, Charlie. I refuse to go hunting for some rogue wolf. I have punished Jake for going off into the woods. He is in his room sulking right now. I think after today both of them will have learnt their lesson."

Charlie eyed him sceptically. "I think I should have a word with him myself. This is the second time this has happened. I can't have him leading Bella astray like this, Billy." He said determinedly. He began to make a move toward the hall leading to the bedrooms. Billy placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"No, I said that I have already dealt with it. Do not interfere Charlie..." His voice was steely. Jacob was still missing. He had to stop his old friend looking in his sons room.

Charlie gritted his teeth as he glared at his oldest friend. It was rare for them to fight but the tension in the air was palpable. "Are you refusing to let me speak to him?" He demanded.

Billy nodded, matching his glare.

"I see..." Charlie replied angrily. "If that is your attitude than I think it best if I take Bella back home. I can't have her put at risk just because your son can't seem to stop leading her into dangerous situations."

Billy stared at his friend in dismay. "Stop over reacting old man."

Charlie ignored Billy, he called out to Bella. "Bells come on, we're leaving."

"Charlie come on, don't be like this..." Billy pleaded, desperation clear in his voice.

"Bella I said come on..." Charlie repeated impatiently. He turned back to Billy. "I am sorry but you have given me no choice."

Bella finally emerged from the hallway, looking at her dad in trepidation. "Can't we stay here, dad? We're both sorry..." she pleaded, giving him the full force of her brown eyes.

Charlie refused to be swayed. "I am sorry Bells, it's for the best."

Tears began to roll down Bella's face as he caught hold of her hand and began to pull her toward the front door.

"For god's sake Charlie, stop being a fool..." Billy yelled at him, his own temper rising. "She wants to stay here."

"You said it yourself, Billy, do not interfere..." Charlie stated coldly before leaving the house, slamming the door as he went.

_**A/N-Oh Charlie, what have you done? Sighs...please let me know what you think, thanks.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**By the Side of the Road**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for all the lovely reviews on this story. I really appreciate it. This is for Miss Ellen whose kind encouragement to get back to this story really motivated me. Nikki :)**_

**Part Ten-Harsh Words**

Jacob was distraught when he finally came home. He climbed through the open window and got dressed quickly. He had expected Bella to be in his room waiting, but there was no sign of her. He ran out of his room and searched for her, calling out her name. There was no response. Billy heard his cries and sadly hunkered down in front of Jacob and told him what had happened.

"Dad, please get Bells to come back," Jacob begged him.

"It's not that easy, son. I have to wait for Charlie to calm down. It was a shock for him to see Bella lying next to a wolf. What were the two of you thinking? You were warned about wandering into the woods." Billy studied him closely.

Jacob hung his head, hiding behind his long hair. "I know dad. I phased after the fight with Becca. I couldn't help it. Bells came to check I was okay and we fell asleep."

Billy placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Jake. I know that you're dealing with a lot right now. Bella's dad will calm down you just need to be patient."

A forlorn look crossed Jacob's face. "I miss her dad. She's the only one who understands."

"I know son, I know." Billy sighed.

Jacob spent the rest of the day in his room. Not being able to see Bella was hitting him hard. Billy had called Charlie and tried to make peace with him, but he was still too riled up to listen. Billy was worried about Bella being in Forks unprotected. He had promised Renee after all that he would keep her daughter on the res. He had already failed in that regard. The responsibilities were weighing heavily on his shoulders and it made him miss Sarah more than ever. He felt like he was letting everyone down.

In the end he decided to call Renee and admit the truth. It was not an easy conversation. She was upset, her own life was being turned upside down and now this. It had been hard packing up the life she had created for herself. Handing in her notice at work had been upsetting.

"I asked you to do that one thing for me, Billy," she yelled at him.

"I know and I'm sorry. I never expected Charlie to get so mad. I've tried to call him but he is still adamant that Jake keeps getting Bella into trouble." Billy told her in frustration.

Renee could hear the devastation in his voice. She had been on the receiving end of Charlie's stubbornness plenty of times in the past. She calmed down and tried to empathise. "I understand, Billy. I am just worried for Bella. I wish I was there."

"How much longer will you be?" Billy asked.

"I've booked a flight back tonight. I will be back tomorrow as long as it takes off on schedule." Renee sighed. "If you think things are bad with Charlie now, wait for the fireworks when he hears I'm moving back and onto the res."

"I'm sorry again Renee, it there was any other way..."

"Yeah," Renee sounded tired.

"I'll be with you. Don't worry Charlie will come around. He won't stay mad for long." Billy said hopefully.

Renee remained silent. She knew Charlie, if he was told the truth he would be more understanding. She hated hiding the true reason for her return, but the tribal elders were insistent that he not be told. "I have to go, Billy. Keep an eye on Bella as best you can until I get there." She begged him.

"I'll do my best," Billy promised, wondering just how he was going to achieve that goal.

XXXXXX

Bella sat across from her dad at the kitchen table and glared at him. He tried to ignore her angry stare by hiding behind his newspaper. But Bella was not going to give in so easily. She kept fidgeting and sighing loudly so that in the end her dad couldn't take it anymore. Charlie folded the newspaper up and slapped it on the table.

"Out with it, kiddo. You clearly have something you want to get off of your chest," He waited f or her to speak.

"I want to go back and see Jake," she said simply. "He's my best friend and I miss him."

"Bells you have only known him for a short time. To be honest you'll be heading back home in a couple of weeks anyway," he gave her a sympathetic smile. "It's probably best not to get more attached."

Her bottom lip began to tremble. "No I won't."

"What do you mean no you won't?" Charlie looked at her in confusion.

"I'm not going home," Bella felt easy tears begin to wash down her cheeks.

"Oh Bells, you know that I would love to have you here on a more permanent basis but your life is in Jacksonville with your mom," he reached across the table and tried to take her hand. She snatched it away angrily.

"I am staying here. Mommy is moving onto the res and I will see Jake every day and you can't stop me," she yelled out at him. She slipped off of her chair and headed for the stairs. He heard the door slam behind her.

Charlie felt shell shocked. What the hell was his daughter talking about? Bella wasn't the kind of child to make stuff up. While she was sulking upstairs he went over to the phone and dialled Renee's number. It took a long time for her to answer but when she did she sounded very tired. "Hello."

"Renee, it's Charlie," he said quickly. "Where are you?"

"What do you mean?" He heard the tremor in her voice and his suspicions were aroused even further.

"Its a simple question. Where are you?" He snapped.

"I'm with friends," she lied badly. "I thought you were spending the weekend with Billy, fishing,"

"Don't bullshit me Renee. I have just had an interesting conversation with our daughter. She seems to think that you are moving back here; not to Forks but on the reservation. Now who put that crazy idea in her head?" Charlie was becoming increasingly irate.

"Crazy idea? Well that just about sums up what you think of me Charlie Swan, nothing has changed there. You think this is one of my delusional schemes, don't you?" Renee yelled back at him.

"Yes I damn well do. There is no way you would be given permission to live on the reservation. This is just one of your foolhardy ideas to keep Bella happy. She'll be devastated to learn it's not true. When will you grow up and stop being so flighty?" Charlie demanded.

Renee was quiet for a moment before answering. All the anger had left her voice, she now sounded sad. "You are as close minded as ever Charlie. I needed your support back when Bella was a baby and you let me down. It's no surprise that this is what you think. I have been given permission to move onto the reservation, ask Billy if you don't believe me. I was hoping to be able to tell you face to face but you have forced my hand. I am on the next flight back to Washington State and will be back tomorrow, just make sure that Bella is ready." The phone went dead as she hung up.

Charlie held the phone in his hand in disbelief. Surely what his ex-wife had said couldn't be true? There was only one way he would find out for sure. He needed to confront Billy.

XXXXXX

Billy was waiting for Charlie when he saw the police cruiser pull into the driveway. Renee had called him and advised that poor Bella had cracked under the strain and told her dad about the move. He saw his friend angrily exit the car and stride toward the house, Bella was dragging her heels behind him; she looked scared.

"Charlie," Billy greeted him as his friend pushed past him into the house.

"I'm sorry, Billy," Bella whispered as she approached.

Billy gave her a tired smile and ruffled her hair. "It's not your fault little one. Go see Jake, he's been missing you badly."

A small smile curved Bella's lips upwards and she dashed past him towards Jacob's room. He heard his son's yells of delight when he saw her. Billy let out a sigh, now he had to deal with Charlie's wrath. He saw his friend sitting on the edge of his chair, elbows resting on his knees as he glared over at him.

"I know you're mad Charlie but..."

"Cut the crap, Billy. Renee told me about her daft scheme to move onto the reservation. She seems to think she has permission," he stared hard at Billy studying his reaction.

Billy sat opposite him and nodded. "It's true, Renee has been given permission to settle here."

Charlie's face reddened. He sat up straight in his chair. "By you? I thought anything like that had to go through the tribal council. I can't see Old Quil and the others agreeing to that."

"Like I said, she has been given permission. Old Quil has already approved it. You are going to have to accept it old man," Billy snapped. He was getting annoyed by the way Charlie was speaking to him.

"Why would she be allowed here? There is something fishy about all this. Why doesn't she just move back to Forks?" Charlie's eyes narrowed as he tried to make sense of everything.

"Because there are too many bad memories in Forks. She wants to move back so Bella can be closer to you. This is the solution we came up with." Billy told him impatiently.

"We? You seem to be getting friendly with Renee all of a sudden. Why would she even begin to discuss it with you? Is there something going on?" He asked suspiciously.

The inference that there was some sort of intimate relationship between him and Renee pushed Billy over the edge. He was still grieving over Sarah and the insinuation that he would move on with another woman so quickly cut deep. "Get out," he roared. "How dare you?"

Charlie knew he had crossed a line. He stood up and tried to take back what he had said but Billy was having none of it. "I said get out," he repeated coldly.

Charlie knew there was no getting through to Billy at the moment. He called out for Bella but Billy told him to be quiet. "She stays here until Renee collects her tomorrow."

"No way. She is my daughter," Charlie's hands clenched into fists as he confronted his oldest friend. In all the years of their friendship they had never fought like this. "You have no right to demand she stays here."

"Yes I do. Renee has full custody, not you. She wants her to stay here until she returns." Billy stood firm, his arms crossed as he locked eyes with Charlie.

"That's kidnap," Charlie blustered. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am," Billy's voice was steely. "Do you really want to upset Bella already more than you have done by keeping her away from Jake?"

"They're just children," Charlie shot back at him. "They've known each other for five minutes."

"That's irrelevant," Billy said dismissively. "even you with your stubbornness can see how close they are already. She has really helped Jake come out of his shell since Sarah died. I won't let your close minded attitude affect the children. Renee agrees with me."

Charlie felt at a loss. Billy was right Renee did have full custody. He had been granted so many visits a year. Renee usually gave him more than the court had allotted as she would travel back to Forks with Bella often so he could maintain a good relationship with his daughter. Everything had been going along fine; he couldn't understand why it was all falling apart so quickly. He looked gravely at Billy and tried to keep his voice calm."What's really going on here? There is something you are holding back isn't there? What ever it is I can help. Just tell me."

Billy couldn't bear the lost tone in Charlie's voice, but there was no way he could tell him the truth. The council had forbid it and he could not overrule their final decision. Anyway the less Charlie knew the better. Old Quil had been right when he said that Bella's father only saw things in black and white. He wouldn't believe him anyway.

"Look Charlie, I have said my piece. I think you should just leave. I promise not to let the children out of the house. When Renee gets back the two of you can talk." Billy said.

As he was speaking Jacob and Bella emerged from his room. They were holding hands and they both wore the same worried expressions. They must have heard everything that had been discussed. Charlie felt a lump come into his throat as he really looked at his small daughter and the boy she called her best friend. As much as he wanted to deny their sudden closeness, it was obvious to anyone who looked at them. The way they clung to each other and the looks they exchanged. A worried frown crossed his face.

"Can I speak to Bells alone for a moment?" He asked Billy quietly.

"Yes, of course. Jake come into the kitchen for a moment," Billy forced his son to let Bella's hand go and he tugged him out of the room.

Bella stood awkwardly staring up at her dad. He looked so sad. Charlie knelt down in front of her and pulled her in for a hug. Her thin arms circled his neck and she hugged him back. "I'm sorry daddy. I love you," she whispered.

Charlie's eyes became moist. "I love you too, kiddo. You don't need to say sorry. Your old dad just gets it wrong sometimes. Billy says you want to stay here for the night and have a sleepover. Is that what you want?"

Bella nodded. "I promise to stay inside, daddy."

Charlie rubbed the back of her head and released her. "Alright, Bells. Your mom is going to be back tomorrow and we can all get together and have a good long talk. Is that okay?"

A serene smile lit up Bella's face making her glow. His daughter really was a beauty. "Thanks daddy." She said happily.

"Okay then, kiddo, you go off and have fun," Charlie ruffled her hair and watched her skip off to join Jacob.

Billy came over to him and regarded Charlie coolly. "Thank you for making this easier." He said formally.

Charlie's expression darkened. "I did this for Bella, not you. Tell Renee I will be having words with her as soon as she steps foot off of that plane." He snapped.

Billy just nodded. He watched as Charlie bid Bella goodbye and left the house. Once he heard the police cruiser pull out of the drive his posture slumped. Jacob and Bella had gone back to his room to play. For the moment Billy was alone so he could fall apart in private.

_**A/N-Sorry about the super angsty chapter but the Charlie in this story was never going to be happy about it, sighs. Thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**By the Side of the Road **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you so much for the lovely reviews on this story. I really appreciate the support. Nikki :)**_

**Part Eleven-First Sighting**

Bella helped Jacob's sister Rachel to wash up the dishes. Rebecca had refused to help, she was still angry with her brother. She thought that Billy would have taken her side and she felt that her dad favoured her brother over all of them. She felt betrayed by her twin too. Rachel had been hovering around Bella for the best part of the evening and ignoring her. Usually Rebecca found it easy to control her sister but with Jacob's little playmate in the house Rachel seemed to have grown a backbone. Frustrated at how badly her day had gone, Rebecca retreated to her room and sulked.

Jacob was sitting in front of the television with his dad but his eyes kept straying to the kitchen where Bella and his sister were tidying up. He had wanted to help but Billy had asked him to let Rachel spend some time with Bella. It was the first time he had seen his daughter become friendly with another person. He knew that Rebecca had a controlling personality and he felt it would be good for Rachel to be able to blossom without her twin constantly putting her down. He always wondered how the two girls could have such different personalities.

"We're done," Rachel announced as they came to join Jacob and Billy.

"Thanks girls, that's very good of you," Billy gave them a tired smile.

Rachel beamed at him and took the initiative by sitting beside him on the couch. It was such a rare occurrence for Billy to get affection from his daughters that he felt tears prick at his eyes. He put his arm around Rachel and gave her a hug. This made Rachel's smile widen and she returned his hug, whispering. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, sweetheart. You know that I'm proud of you, don't you?" Billy studied his daughter carefully.

Rachel hung her head showing clearly that she didn't believe him. It hurt Billy that she would think he thought more of Jacob then he did her. He had been so focused on his son because of what had happened to him; but to a young teenage girl it must seem like he favoured him. Billy vowed to make more of an effort to connect with his daughters. Rachel seemed to be amenable to the idea, it would be Rebecca who would test him.

Bella sat next to Jacob on the floor. He had a box opened up in front of him and was sorting through the contents. "What are all these?" She asked him curiously.

Jacob gave her a shy smile. "They're just bits and pieces I've collected. Just junk really."

Bella returned his smile. "They're not junk Jake. They're pieces of your memories." She held up a sandy coloured sea shell and put it to her ear. Everyone always said that you were supposed to hear the ocean but she never had.

"I found that on Second beach when I was six," Jacob told her. "I just liked the shape of it."

"It's nice," Bella put it down carefully. "What else do you have in here?"

A mischievous expression crossed Jacob's face as he handed her a carved piece of wood. Bella studied it and gasped. It was only roughly cut but she could clearly see that it was a carving of a young girl sitting next to a wolf. "Is that us?" She asked holding it reverently in her hands.

"Yeah, I'm not that good yet. Dad is still teaching me but I hope to finish that off soon and then it'll be yours." Jacob's cheeks flushed as he suddenly found it hard to look her in the eye.

Bella turned the wood over and over in her hands. She felt overwhelmed by such a unique and thoughtful gift. Without thinking she leaned across and kissed Jacob on the cheek. The happy grin that crossed his face took her breath away. This time she was the one who couldn't look at him. She handed the carving back to him and began to sort through some of his other treasures.

XXXXXX

The evening drew to a close. It had been nice and relaxing; the only downside was when Rebecca emerged from her room and demanded Rachel join her. Her twin had refused and this had set Rebecca off into a crying fit. She yelled insults at Bella accusing her of turning first her brother and now her sister against her. Billy had to intervene before Jacob launched himself at his older sister. Bella had retreated to Jacob's room in tears and Rachel had followed to try and comfort her.

Billy had taken Rebecca back to her room and spoke to her sternly. She had sat on the edge of her bed; arms crossed, just glaring at him. Her cold expression had sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't see any empathy or guilt in her expression at all. After he had told her off he tried to hug her like he had done to Rachel but she would not co operate. She flinched away from him and seemed disinterested when he said that he loved her just like all his children. Seeing how cold she looked worried him.

Bella was meant to have slept in the twins room but with Rebecca's bad attitude Billy decided to let Bella have Jacob's bed and he could sleep on one of the camp beds. He set it up and breathed a sigh of relief when it actually fitted into the room. Jacob's bedroom was the smallest in the house. With the camp bed set up next to his bed there was no leg room at all. This didn't bother the children, Bella who was wearing one of Rachel's nightdresses, crawled across the camp bed and made herself comfortable in Jacob's bed, pulling the comforter right up to her chin.

Jacob bounced onto the camp bed nearly making it collapse in the process. Bella giggled at him while Billy rolled his eyes. "Calm down son. This is the only one we have left that isn't damaged."

"Sorry dad," Jacob said with a big grin, not looking sorry at all.

"Right it's late so I'm going to say goodnight," Billy gave them a rueful smile as he left the room.

XXXXXX

It was very late when Jacob woke up to the sound of Bella sobbing. She was mumbling in her sleep begging someone to not hurt her. Jacob wondered if she was reliving the vampire attack again. He crawled off of his camp bed and over to Bella. She was thrashing about and when he touched her arm gently to try and wake her she let out a loud yell.

"Bells...it's me, Jake. Please just wake up." He begged her.

Bella's eyes flared open and she shrank away from him. The room was dark and she was still half in her nightmare pleading with the red headed female to spare her life. Jacob could see that she was shaking like a leaf. "Hey, Bells you're okay." He spoke to her like he would to a frightened animal.

Slowly Bella became aware of where she was. The frightening trees with their thick branches and roots that tripped her up as she tried to escape receded and the glowing red eyes and pearly white teeth of the woman with vibrant red hair faded. She was in Jacob's room, lying on his bed and he was staring at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Bells?" He asked again, crawling nearer to her. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"She's coming, Jake," Bella whimpered. She sat up in the bed, her long silky hair falling about her thin shoulders.

"Who?" Jacob caught hold of her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Her skin felt chilled.

"The lady with the red hair. She wants revenge." She closed her eyes and the red headed woman was in front of her again, ranting that she had saved her miserable little life but would now end it in vengeance for the death of her mate.

Jacob froze as her fear communicated itself to him. "It wasn't just a dream?"

"No," Bella shivered again and drew closer to him so that she was huddled into his side. "Sometimes I see things. Mommy knows about it but I never told anyone else because they never believed me."

Jacob put his arms around her trying to infuse some of his warmth into her. She was shaking badly. "Why does she want revenge?"

"Because you killed her mate. The cold one who called himself James was her mate."Bella whispered faintly.

"She won't hurt you, Bells. I won't let that happen," Jacob assured her. His young heart thudded loudly in his chest. The wolf was close to the surface and wanted to break free. The thought of a vampire attacking Bella was forcing the wolf to take charge and hunt the red head down.

Bella felt Jacob shaking and she pulled away from him. "Are you?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Bells. I can't stop it." He said sadly.

Bella didn't say anything. She crawled to the window and opened it. Jacob gave her a grateful smile and climbed out easily and jumped to the ground. As soon as his feet hit the floor, Bella saw his form shimmer and within seconds a large, russet toned wolf stood majestically outside the house. She reached through the window and petted his fur.

"Be safe," she whispered. The wolf let out a low whimper and licked her hand before charging off toward the forest and out of sight.

XXXXXX

Jacob smelt the tell tale signs of a cold one as soon as he reached the trees. The fur on his back stood on end as the sickly sweet odour made his stomach roil. It seemed Bella's premonition had been a warning. With his sensitive nose to the ground Jacob followed the scent; it led him a merry dance. The cold one had not kept to a straight path but weaved and dodged around trees and rocks. A fresh wind blew through the dark night and Jacob knew that he was heading for the ocean. He broke through the last of the trees and had to scramble back otherwise he would have plunged over the cliff edge into the sea.

He stared down at the dark waves, they crashed and blew thick spray up into the air as the water met the bottom of the cliff. With his keen ears perked forward he hesitantly edged nearer to the ledge. The cold one must have dived into the sea. He strained his eyes to see if he could see anything in the grey choppy waves but it was pointless. Jacob began to back away from the edge so he could return to the safe confines of the forest. It was not to be; before he was aware of what was happening, the cold ones scent suddenly blew across him and he realised his error of judgement. A hard body hit him full on and without any leverage to hold onto Jacob tumbled into the sea; a pair of strong, cold arms squeezing the life out of him as he fell.

XXXXXX

The water closed over his head and tore the breath from his body. It invaded his mouth and nostrils too causing him to choke. The cold arms around his body continued to squeeze and he felt one of his ribs crack. Jacob couldn't fight anymore; he had no strength left. His mind became hazy and his vision blurred. The pain that was coursing through his body faded away as his life force began to ebb. A long tunnel of light opened up before him and he saw the beloved figure of his mother standing at the end, her arms wide open waiting for him.

Jacob cried out her name and began to sprint toward her, he was no longer on four legs but back in his human form. He was once again a ten year old boy running to his mommy. He never reached her, before he knew what was happening his eyes flared open and he was back in the roiling sea. His wolf's head broke the surface and he took great big lungfuls of air. The iron grip around his body had gone. He continued to thrash about in the sea, turning every which way to find his attacker. There was no sign of the cold one.

Weary and extremely frightened, Jacob swam slowly toward the sandy shore. His cracked rib was hurting but he knew that it would soon heal. He eventually managed to crawl onto the beach and he lay in heap, his chest heaving with every breath he took. It was then that the familiar scent of the cold one hit him. Only this time there was another stronger odour alongside it. There were now two of them. Jacob scrambled onto his four paws and stared wild eyed around the beach and that is when he saw them.

A pale female with vivid red hair and eyes was fighting against another male vampire. The male didn't take long to overwhelm her and he forced her to the ground and onto her knees. The female drew back her blood red lips and snarled at him.

"You have no right to interfere Carlisle Cullen," she sneered.

"I have every right. If I find that you have come back to this area again, Victoria I will not be merciful. Now get out of here." He pushed the woman so that she fell forward in the sand. Within seconds she leapt gracefully to her feet. She gave a quick hateful glance in Jacob's direction before diving back into the sea and disappearing under the waves.

The male finally looked in Jacob's direction. He was fairly tall; maybe six foot. His bright blonde hair blew in the wind but it was his eyes that shocked Jacob, they were not red but a clear golden colour. He approached Jacob cautiously, holding out his hands in a placatory gesture. "It's okay," he said in a soothing voice. "I mean you no harm. I am Carlisle Cullen. If you ask your father he will know of me and my family."

Jacob tensed, he crouched down ready to defend himself if he was suddenly attacked. A low growl ripped from his chest but he didn't attack the blonde male.

"I will leave now, you were not supposed to see me. I promise that I and my family will do our utmost to keep Bella Swan safe. She means a lot to us all. Farewell Jacob Black, until we meet again." The blonde male raced off up the beach; his body a blur as he too disappeared into the dark night.

XXXXXX

It was nearly four am when an exhausted Jacob crawled back through his window. Bella had stayed awake, anxiously awaiting his return. She wordlessly handed him some new clothes and he dressed quickly. He flopped back on his bed, his eyes far away and tears running down his cheeks. Bella lay down beside him and wiped his tears with the back of her hand.

"Can you tell me?" She whispered.

"Not right now, Bells. Stay right here while I sleep?" He begged her.

"Yes," she cuddled up beside him and lay her head near his. Feeling her so close comforted him and Jacob finally fell asleep, overwhelming tiredness keeping the bad dreams at bay.

_**A/N-Thanks for reading!**_


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